Columbia  ^nitiersttp 

tntlieCitpofBfUigark 

THE   LIBRARIES 

i^^^ 

^Bwlil^H^        ^^^^^h'^E^HbI 

B^KMSBm-       J&'^^^E^KP'' 

^^Bjji^^^^ 

Bequest  of 

Frederic  Bancroft 

1860-1945 

S€©TT 


LIFE 


Elder  Walter  ScotT; 


SKETCHES  OF  HIS  FELLOW-LABORERS, 


William  Hayden,  Adamson  Bentley, 
John  Henry,  and  others. 


WILLIAM  BAXTER. 


CINCINNATI: 
BOSWORTH,  CHASE  &  HALL,  PUBLISHERS, 

180  Elm  Street. 
1874. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1874,  by 

BOSWORTH,  CHASE  &  HALL, 

In  the  Office  of  the  Librarian  of  Congress,  at  Washington,  D.  C. 


'J^^^.d 


^ 


iCS 

PREFACE. 


D>®<C 


T^OR  some  years  after  the  death  of  Walter  Scott,  the  writer 
-*■  felt  that  it  was  sad  that  one  to  whom  we,  as  a  religious  peo- 
ple, are  so  much  indebted,  should  have  no  memorial  from  which 
the  generations  to  come  might-  learn  how  great  and  good  a  man 
God  gave  us  in  him.  Still  later,  in  looking  at  his  work,  and  the 
great  changes  which  he,  under  God,  was  the  instrument  of  effect- 
ing, this  neglect  began  to  look  like  ingratitude  on  the  part  of 
those  whom  his  labors  had  blessed. 

A  short  tribute  to  him  from  my  pen,  without  my  name,  a  few 
years  since,  wakened  dear  memories  of  him  in  many  hearts ;  the 
sketch  was  deemed  faithful,  and  more  in  the  same  vein  was  asked, 
and  when  the  writer  became  known,  he  was,  by  many,  deemed  fit 
for  the  work  of  preparing  his  biography,  and  urged  to  undertake 
it.  Upon  consenting  to  do  so,  I  learned  why  it  was  that  the  work 
had  been  neglected  so  long.  This  was  an  almost  entire  lack  of 
material  for  such  a  work — not  in  his  life ;  and  the  labors  in  which 
he  was  so  abundant — but  he  had  left  little  material  for  a  biography 
save  what  could  be  found  in  periodicals  scarce  and  widely  scat- 
tered, and  in  the  memories  of  those  who  knew  him  who  yet  re- 
main. He  had  lived  so  much  for  others  that  he  had  little  thought  or 
care  for  himself.  Perhaps,  too,  death  came  suddenly;  and  although 
it  did  not  find  him  unprepared,  yet  there  had  been  so  little  dec^y  of 
his  powers  that  the  end  did  not  seem  so  near;  hence,  no  prepara- 
tion of  what  a  biographer  needs  was  made. 

Providentially,  the  writer  was  thrown  into  the  very  commimity 
in  which  Scott's  first  successful    attempt   to   restore   the   primitive 

(ill) 


iv  PREFACE. 

gospel  was  made,  some  were  still  living  who  heard  that  gospel 
from  his  lips  at  a  time  when  it  seemed  strange  and  new,  and 
who  also  received  baptism  at  his  hands;  and  much  that  was 
needed  for  a  work  like  this,  and  that  soon  would  have  been  lost, 
was   gathered. 

In  every  instance  in  which  it  has  been  possible  the  dead  has 
been  permitted  to  speak— his  views  are  given  in  his  own  words, 
and  the  effort  constantly  made  to  make  him  his  own  biographer. 
When  this  has  failed,  the  best  recollections  of  those  who  knew 
him  best  have  been  used;  to  those,  without  whose  aid  this  book 
could  not  have  been  written,  our  thanks  are  due,  and  to  one  and 
all  are  warmly  given. 

Much  that  would  have  been  worthy  of  record  has  gone  beyond 
recall,  but  something,  we  trust,  has  been  saved  that  is  worth  the 
saving;  and  though  the  writer  feels,  as  none  other  can,  how  im- 
perfect his  book  is,  yet  he  feels  that  what  has  been  done  has  not 
been  done  in  vain. 

Imperfect  as  these  details  are,  he  who  reads  them  will  feel  that 
he  is  in  communion  with  a  great  and  gifted  man,  and  what  is 
better  still,  with  a  pious,  God-fearing  one.  He  will  think  better 
of  his  race,  and,  we  trust,  be  led  to  see  the  beauty  of  a  life  of 
trust  in  God,  and  a  devotion  to  his  truth,  such  as  has  seldom 
been  surpassed. 

An  introductory  chapter  has  been  deemed  needful,  that  the  reader 
may  see  by  the  contrast  between  what  has  been,  and  what  now  is, 
the  great  change  that  has  been  wrought  in  a  great  measure  by  the 
labors  of  him  of  whom  we  write.  May  God's  blessing  attend  both 
book  and  reader  is  the  prayer  of  the  AUTHOR. 


CONTENTS 


3>»:< 


PAGE. 

INTRODUCTION ii 


CHAPTER   I. 

Birth — Ancestry — Education — Singing  in  the  street  at  midnight — 
Emigrates  to  the  United  States — Goes  westward  on  foot — Em- 
ployed as  teacher — Is  baptized, 29 


CHAPTER   II. 

Becomes  Principal  of  an  Academy — Sudden  death  of  Mr.  For- 
rester— An  important  document — Gives  up  his  school — Visits 
New  York — Disappointment 41 


CHAPTER    III. 

Returns  to  Pittsburg — And  resumes  teaching — Sketch  of  Pittsburg 

Church — Meets  with  Alexander  Campbell  and  his  father,         .         56 


CHAPTER    IV. 

Conversion  of  Samuel  Church — Marriage — Extracts  from  his 
essays  in  the  Christian  Baptist — Need  of  the  Ancient  Gospel 
perceived, 69 

(V) 


VI  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  V. 

PAGE. 

Removal  to  Steubenville — Visits  the  Mahoning  Baptist  Associa- 
tion— Mr.  Scott  chosen  as  Evangehst — His  field  of  labor — Re- 
ligious experiences — The  three  brothers 82 


CHAPTER  VI. 

Favorable  omens — Articles  of  faith  of  the  New  Lisbon  church — 
Scott  begins  his  work — Preaches  at  New  Lisbon — The  gospel 
offer  accepted — Baptism  for  the  remission  of  sins  restored,         .        95 


CHAPTER  Vn. 

Great   excitement — Mr.  Amend's  letter — Assailed  by  preachers — 

Wesley's  experience — Testimony  of  the  church  standards,         .       109 

CHAPTER  VHL 

Visits  Warren — Cold  reception — John  Tait's  conversion — Sketch  of 

Elder   Bentley, 127 

CHAPTER  IX. 

Meeting  at  Austintown — A.  S.  Hayden  a  convert — Church  organ- 
ized— ^John  Henry — Death  of  Joseph  Gaston,        .        .        .       140 

CHAPTER  X. 

Scott's  views  misunderstood — Bishop  Hobart's  views  of  baptism — 
Thomas  Campbell  visits  the  scene  of  Scott's  labors — Meeting 
at  Sharon,  and  results,       ........       ISS 


CONTENTS.  VU 


CHAPTER  XI. 


PAGE. 


Deerfield — Scott's  visit — Amos  Allerton  the  skeptic — Conversion  of 

Aylette  Raines, i68 

CHAPTER  XII. 

Changes  wrought — Anecdotes — Toad  sky-high — Neither  for  God 
nor  devil — Meeting  of  tlie  Association — Scott  re-appointed — 
WiUiam  Hay  den  g^ven  as  a  fellow-laborer i8i 

CHAPTER    XIII. 

Sketch  of  William  Hayden — Early  doubts — Meets  with  Scott — 
Musical  talent — Education  in  the  saddle — Specimen  of  his 
style — Extent  of  his  labors, 194 

CHAPTER  XIV. 

A  pleasing  incident— Bentley  and  Bosworth  appointed  as  helpers — 
Dissolution  of  the  Mahoning  Association — Scott's  inflexibility 
of  purpose — Campbell  moved  by  his  eloquence — Death  in  his 
family — Replies  to  Robert  Dale  Owen, 211 

CHAPTER   XV. 

Removes  to  Carthage — The  little  Sunday-school  girl — The  village 

reprobate — Great  success — A  remarkable  meeting,    ...      232 

CHAPTER   XVI. 

Abundant  labors — Hospitality — Liberality — Teaching  the  Scriptures 
in  his  family — Washes  a  brother's  feet — Tribute  to  B.  W. 
Stone — Thomas  Campbell  and  Alexander  Campbell — Treat- 
ment of  young  preachers — Good  news  from  other  fields,     .         ,       246 


VI 11  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER    XVII. 

PAGE. 

Discourse  on  the  Holy  Spirit — Extracts  from  the  Discourse — 
Opinions  with  regard  to  its  merits — Review  of  the  Rev.  S. 
W.   Lynd's  pamphlet .        .       260 

CHAPTER   XVIII, 

Crooked  things  made  straight — The  prominence  he  gave  to  human 
responsibility — In  what  respects  his  work  differed  from  that  of 
other  reformers — Apostrophe  to  the  Bible,        ....      281 

CHAPTER   XIX. 

Social  qualities  of  Elder  Scott — Trip  up  the  Ohio  River,  and  pleas- 
ing incidents  connected  with  it — Letter  from  one  of  the  minis- 
ters whose  acquaintance  he  made  on  the  voyage,      .        .        .      294 

CHAPTER   XX. 

Visit  to  Kentucky — Effects  of  first  and  second  sermon — Visits 
Henry  Clay  and  Col.  R.  M.  Johnson — Meets  the  widow  of 
Alexander  Hamilton — Visit  to  Bethany,  Va.,  Pittsburg,  Pa., 
and  Warren,  Ohio — Letter  from  Elder  Bentley,        .        .        .      308 

CHAPTER  XXI.  .     ' 

His  ideal  of  a  preacher — Exordiums — Themes  for  the  ministry — 

Success  attending  his  preaching — His  labors  at  threescore,        .      323 

CHAPTER  XXII. 

Scott  and  Campbell  compared  as  preachers — Dr.  Humphrey's  esti- 
mate of  Campbell — Scott's  description  of  the  second  coming 
of  Christ — of  the  transfiguration— Sermon  at  Georgetown, 
Kentucky, 


CONTENTS.  IX 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 


His  views  on  the  great  questions  of  the  day — Opposed  to  the  ])osi- 
tion  of  Soame  Jenyns,  M.  P. — Position  on  the  temperance  and 
slavery  questions — Views  on  education — Address  before  the 
College  of  Teachers  at  Cincinnati, 352 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

Discussions  growing  out  of  Scott's  plea — His  own  distaste  for 
controversy — Debate  between  Hayden  and  Hubbard — A 
short  controversy  —  The  crawfish  hole  argument  —  Hartzell 
and  Waldo's  discussion — The  fanner  and  scholar  meet,      ,      370 


.  CHAPTER   XXV. 

His  plea  for  the  name  Christian — Visit  to  the  East — Views  on 
Millerism — Removal  to  Pittsburg — Labors  as  a  colporteur — 
Description  of  the  great  fire, 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 

Chosen  Elder  of  the  Alleghany  Church — Extracts  from  his  diary 
at  this  period — Marriage  of  two  of  his  children — Death  of 
his  wife 404 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 

Admirable  essay  on  Christian  Union  —  Encomiums  bestowed 
upoji  it  —  Visits  Bethany  —  Death  of  Samuel  Church  — 
Letters, 417 


X  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

PAGE. 

Deeply  concerned  at  the  prospect  of  disunion — His  argunrient  for 

union — His  great  grief  at  the  prevaihng   troubles,        .        .      431 

CHAPTER  XXIX. 

The  end  at  hand — ^The  news  of  the  fall  of  Fort  Sumpter — Taken 
suddenly  ill — Visited  by  Elders  Rogers  and  Streator — Death — 
A.  Campbell's  tribute  to  his  memory, 443 


INTRODUCTION, 


:>>^c 


EVERY  religious  Reformation  has  brought  before  the 
public  some  great,  pure,  and  unselfish  men ;  men  who 
loved  the  truth  not  only  more  than  lucre,  but  more  than  the 
praise  of  men,  than  place,  than  title,  and  we  doubt  not  had 
they  been  put  to  the  test,  more  than  life  itself.  Who  doubts 
that  the  intrepid  Luther  would  have  sealed  his  testimony 
with  his  blood,  had  the  sacrifice  been  demanded,  or  that 
Wesley,  who  again  and  again  serenely  looked  into  the  faces 
of  the  infuriated  throngs  that  raged  and  howled  around  him, 
would  have  died  as  calmly  and  nobly  as  Polycarp,  if  not  as 
triumphantly  as  he  who  said,  " I  am  ready  to  be  offered;  I 
have  fought  the  good  fight  ? ' '  There  is  equally  good  rea- 
son for  believing  that  many  who  are  yet  living,  and  espe- 
cially the  venerated  dead  who  have  been  prominent  in  the 
great  religious  Reformation  of  the  present  century,  would 
not  have  counted  their  lives  dear  to  themselves  had  they 
lived  in  an  age  when  violent  death  was  the  proof  of  fidelity. 
The  true  martyr  spirit  has  been  displayed  by  many  whose 
blood  never  was  shed,  as  really  as  by  those  who  have  died 
at  the  stake,  or  whose  life  current  stained  the  sands  of  the 
arena.  Long  lives  of  patient  toil,  amid  scoff  and  scorn,  of 
glorious  labor  amid  privation  and  neglect ;  of  poverty  while 

(II) 


1 2  IN  TR  OD  UC  TION. 

bearing  to  others  the  true  riches,  point  out  the  men  of 
whom  the  world  was  not  worthy,  and  whom  God  will 
crown,  as  truly  and  clearly  as  Stephen's  early  painful,  tri- 
umphant death.  The  long  trial  proves  the  heart  as  well  as 
the  short,  sharp  pang ;  and  long  endurance,  as  well  as  short 
fiery  trial,  makes  the  man  of  God  perfect  through  suffering. 
It  is  true  that  the  reformer  of  our  times  has  not  to  brave 
the  anger  of  a  Nero  as  did  Paul,  or  of  a  Pope  as  did  Luther; 
and  yet  for  a  man  of  pure  and  elevated  feelings,  desiring 
the  highest  good  of  his  race,  the  brand  of  heresy,  religious 
ostracism  by  complacent  orthodoxy,  and  misrepresentation 
akin  to  that  which  attributed  the  kind  deeds  of  the  merci- 
ful Christ  to  Satanic  power,  are  neither  easy  nor  pleasant  to 
bear.  The  circle  of  Luther's  and  Wesley's  influence  is  still 
widening ;  both  are  now  better  known  and  appreciated  than 
in  their  own  times,  or  at  any  period  since  then ;  and  though 
the  snows  of  few  winters  have  rested  on  the  grave  of  Walter 
Scott,  his  works  are  widely  known  and  his  memory  fondly 
cherished.  As  truly  as  Wesley  and  Luther  he  forsook  all  for 
Christ;  a  man  of  as  pure  life,  of  as  brilliant  genius,  as 
abundant  in  labors ;  as  true  a  lover  of  God  and  man  as  they. 
"  Though  dead  he  still  speaks ;  "  and  he  will  be  one  of  the 
remembered  ones  in  all  succeeding  time. 

But  to  understand  his  life  and  work,  it  is  necessary  to 
know  something  of  the  times  in  which  he  lived,  and  the  re- 
ligious views  then  prevalent ;  a  brief  review  of  these,  we 
doubt  not,  will  demonstrate  the  necessity  and  magnitude  of 
the  reformation  in  which  he  acted  so  distinguished  a  part. 
In  addition  to  this,  our  very  prosperity  as  a  people  affords 
a  strong  reason  for  such  a  retrospect ;  for  as  the  Israelites, 
who  fed  their  flocks  in  the  vale  of  Jordan,  or  sat  under  the 
vines  and  fig-trees  of  the  land  which  God  had  given  to 
their  fathers,  knew  nothing,  save  by  tradition,  of  the  Egyp- 


INTR  OD  UCTIOiW  1 3 

tian  yoke  or  the  journey  through  the  desert,  so  the  Disci- 
ples of  Christ  of  the  present  day,  rejoicing  in  their  religious 
liberty  and  unexampled  prosperity,  know  little  of  the  con- 
flict through  which  a  generation,  almost  departed,  has 
passed;  or  the  price  which  was  paid  for  the  spiritual  free- 
dom and  blessings  which  they  enjoy.  Fifty  years  ago  the 
people  known  as  Christians,  or  Disciples  of  Christ,  were  un- 
known. Here  and  there  a  few  individuals  in  the  various 
religious  parties,  by  a  slow  and  painful  process,  had,  in  a 
measure,  thrown  off  the  yoke  of  creed  and  sect,  and  com- 
mitted themselves  to  the  word  of  God  as  their  sole  guide  in 
matters  pertaining  to  the  soul's  welfare.  In  most  cases, 
however,  this  was  done  in  utter  ignorance  of  the  fact  that 
there  were  others  in  almost  precisely  the  same  condition 
with  themselves;  and,  without  any  sympathy,  concert,  or 
even  acquaintance  with  one  another,  each  one  felt  somewhat 
as  did  Elijah  in  the  day  of  Israel's  apostasy,  when  he  cried 
out,  "Lord,  they  have  killed  thy  prophets,  and  digged 
down  thine  altars,  and  I  am  left  alone." 

This  did  not  originate  in  a  spirit  of  fancied,  superiority 
in  knowledge  or  holiness ;  but  having  drunk  deep  into  the 
spirit  of  the  Holy  Scriptures,  by  making  them  their  exclusive 
authority  in  religion,  they  could  not  but  perceive  that  there 
had  been  numerous  and  sad  departures  from  their  teachings, 
and  that  in  following  human  reason  and  earthly  guides,  vast 
multitudes  had  forsaken,  or  been  led  away  from,  the  foun- 
tain of  living  water,  and  were  vainly  striving  to  quench  the 
thirst  of  their  souls  from  cisterns,  broken  cisterns,  that  could 
hold  no  water.  Looking  into  the  word  of  God,  they  saw 
the  way  of  life  clearly,  simply,  and  beautifully  set  forth ; 
looking  over  the  religious  world,  they  beheld  darkness, 
mystery,  conflict,  and  contradiction  every-where.  When 
they  looked  at  the  primitive  church  walking  in  the  fear  of 


1 4  INTJWDUCTION. 

God  and  the  comfort  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  being  greatly 
multiplied  ;  and  then  at  the  differences,  discords,  and  divi- 
sions of  those  claiming  to  be  followers  of  the  meek  and 
lowly  One,  the  contrast  was  sad  and  striking,  and  the  ques- 
tions would  rise  unbidden ;  Are  these  the  fruits  of  the  teach- 
ings of  him  who  came  to  save  a  lost  world  ?  Did  he  intend 
that  his  followers  should  pursue  such  different  paths?  Did 
he  not  teach  that  a  house  divided  against  itself  can  not 
stand?  Is  what  we  see  right,  and  the  word  of  God  falSe? 
These  questionings  were  sore  trials  to  their  faith ;  they  were 
not  anxious  to  find  their  religious  friends  and  neighbors 
wrong,  and  themselves  right ;  on  the  contrary,  the  love  of 
souls  led  them  to  desire  that  the  multitude  should  be  found 
right ;  those  whom  they  held  most  dear  were  attached  to 
the  views  they  felt  compelled  to  question;  many  learned 
and  godly  men  had  believed  and  taught  them ;  the  early 
friends  and  guides  of  their  youth  had  gone  to  the  grave 
cherishing  as  true  what  they  felt  obliged  to  reject ;  nay, 
they  had  themselves  once  held  the  same  views  without  any 
question  or  misgiving ;  but  now  the  clear  and  solemn  teach- 
ings of  the  word  of  God  would  rise  before  them  and  con- 
demn so  plainly  much  of  the  religious  teaching  and  practice 
of  the  day,  that  there  was  no  other  alternative  but  to  say, 
"  Let  God  be  true  though  every  man  be  found  a  liar,"  or  to 
abandon  their  own  faith  in  God. 

Their  condition  was  one  of  perplexity;  they  saw  the 
wrong,  and  yet  scarcely  trusted  themselves  to  call  that  the 
only  true  path  which  the  Scriptures  seemed  to  point  out  so 
clearly;  their  own  souls  had  just  struggled  into  the  light, 
and  the  first  effect  of  that  light  was  to  dazzle  and  bewilder. 
They  needed  a  leader  who,  like  themselves,  had  once  wan- 
dered in  the  darkness  of  error,  and,  having  longer  enjoyed 
the  bright  beams  of  the  sun  of  righteousness,  could  better 


INTRODUCTION. 


15 


express  than  themselves  what  they  felt  must  be  true.  Such 
a  leader  was  found  in  Alexander  Campbell,  who,  through 
the  Christian  Baptist,  poured  new  light  upon  their  path, 
and  confirmed  them  in  what  they  had  long  tremblingly  be- 
lieved. But  even  he  did  not  shake  off  the  fetters  of  human 
tradition  by  a  single  effort,  nor  reach  soul-freedom  at  a 
single  bound,  but  he  yielded  slowly  and  painfully  whatever 
he  found  the  word  of  God  did  not  warrant,  and  step  by 
step  advanced  in  the  knowledge  of  the  truth,  until  he 
reached  that  sublime  determination,  that  he  would  commit 
himself  to  the  word  of  God  as  his  sole  guide  in  religion, 
and  follow  wherever  that  word  should  lead.  To  speak 
what  he  found  in  the  word  of  God  faithfully  and  fearlessly, 
and  to  be  silent  where  the  word  of  God  was  silent,  was 
thenceforth  the  rule  in  all  his  efforts  for  the  salvation  of  his 
race ;  and  the  blessings  by  which  those  efforts  were  attend- 
ed, eternity  alone  will  disclose.  The  impression  made  by 
the  first  number  of  the  Christian  Baptist  was  deepened  by 
each  subsequent  issue;  the  Bible,  where  it  circulated,  ceased 
to  be  regarded  as  a  sealed  book,  and  was  studied  with  a  zeal 
and  zest  unknown  before;  great  numbers  from  the  various  re- 
ligious parties  embraced  the  new  views  which  were  set  forth 
with  such  marked  ability;  and  among  them  many  who 
proved  to  be  earnest  and  efficient  helpers ;  and  the  new 
movement  assumed  such  proportions  that  its  opposers  saw 
fit  to  give  it  a  name  ;  that  name  was  Campbellism.  Among 
those  helpers  and  fellow-laborers,  the  first  place  in  zeal  and 
ability  must  be  awarded  to  Walter  Scott.  Up  to  the  time 
of  his  connection  with  this  movement,  the  efforts  of  Alex- 
ander Campbell  had  been  mainly  directed  against  the  errors 
prevalent  among  those  professing  godliness,  with  a  view  to 
the  promotion  of  union  among  them;  but  Scott  perceived 
that  in  addition  to  the  evils  of  partyism  in  the  Church, 


1 6  INTR  OD  UCTION. 

that  there  was  an  equal  defect  in  the  presentation  of  the 
gospel  to  the  world,  to  the  remedy  of  which  he  addressed 
himself  with  signal  ability  and  success.  Making  the  apos- 
tles his  model,  he  went  before  the  world  with  the  same 
plea,  urging  upon  his  hearers  the  same  message,  in  the  same 
order,  with  the  same  conditions  and  promises,  and  inviting 
instant  compliance  with  its  claims.  The  position  of  Camp- 
bell in  taking  the  word  of  God  as  the  only  rule  of  faith 
and  practice  necessarily  led  to  the  new  and  bold  step  taken 
by  Scott ;  nor  was  he  slow  to  second  it  in  his  public  ad- 
dresses, as  well  as  by  his  powerful  pen.  They  were  true 
yoke-fellows  in  the  same  glorious  cause ;  and  when  with 
tongue  and  pen  they  exposed  long-cherished  errors,  and 
brought  to  light  long-forgotten  truths,  many  from  the  va- 
rious religious  parties  were  ready  for  what  they  had  to 
offer,  and  were  attracted  to  them  as  particles  of  steel  to  the 
magnet ;  and  even  from  the  world  those  who  had  well-nigh 
lost  all  faith  in  God  through  the  false  and  contradictory 
views  of  religion  which  they  had  heard,  and  the  discords 
which  prevailed  among  those  who  professed  to  be  the  fol- 
lowers of  the  Lord,  came  and  embraced  and  rejoiced  in 
the  truth ;  of  which  truth  many  of  them  became  able  and 
successful  advocates  and  defenders. 

But  many  difficulties  attended  this  republication  of  the 
Ancient  Gospel  and  return  to  the  practice  of  the  primitive 
church  which  it  is  necessary  to  notice.  The  first  of  these 
was  the  religious  teachings  of  that  day  in  regard  to  what 
was  necessary  in  order  to  the  conversion  of  a  soul  to  God. 
In  primitive  times  nothing  was  plainer,  simpler,  easier,  to 
be  understood.  An  apostle  delivered  his  message  in  a 
style  and  manner  suited  to  the  capacity  of  his  hearers ;  those 
who  were  convinced  of  the  truth  of  what  they  heard,  and 
showed  their  sincerity  by  an  abandonment  of  their  sins, 


INTRODUCTION. 


17 


and  obeying  the  instmctiors  which  fell  from  his  lips,  were 
received  into  the  favor  of  God  and  the  fellowship  of  the 
church.  The  instructions  given  to  a  nobleman,  traveling 
in  his  chariot,  by  one  of  the  primitive  teachers  of  Christi- 
anity, not  occupying  perhaps  more  than  an  hour  or  two, 
resulted  in  his  conversion.  An  apostle  found  a  company 
of  pious  women  assembled  at  a  place  of  prayer  by  the  river 
side  not  far  from  a  pagan  city ;  they  had  an  acquaintance 
with  the  .law  of  Moses,  but  never  had  heard  the  glad  news 
of  the  Messiah's  coming,  of  his  death  for  sin,  and  the  glo- 
rious offer  made  to  all,  both  Jew  and  Gentile,  through  his 
gospel.  This  he  made  known ;  some  of  his  hearers  gladly 
received  it,  and  immediately  entered  into  the  enjoyment 
of  the  favor  of  God,  through  faith  in,  and  obedience  to, 
the  Lord  Jesus;  and,  stranger  still,  in  that  same  pagan  city, 
a  man  brought  up  in  idolatry  was  brought  in  contact  with 
the  apostle  and  his  fellow-laborer,  and  under  their  instruc- 
tions, between  the  going  down  and  the.  rising  of  the  sun, 
he  learned  enough  to  renounce  idolatry,  and  to  gladly  and 
intelligently  become  a  Christian. 

Every-where  during  the  ministry  of  the  apostles,  the  con- 
version of  sinners  to  God  was  brought  about  by  the  same 
instrumentality:  the  preaching  of  the  gospel — the  simple 
scriptural  statement  of  one  case  is  the  model  for  all.  It 
is  said  "many  of  the  Corinthians  hearing,  believed,  and. 
were  baptized;  "  none  of  these  elements  were  absent  in 
any  case  of  conversion  which  took  place  under  the  labors 
of  the  apostles ;  and  one  of  the  chief  of  these,  in  reviewing 
his  labors,  says:  '*I  am  not  ashamed  of  the  Gospel  of 
Christ,  for  it  is  the  power  of  God  unto  salvation  to  every 
one  that  believeth."  Forty  or  fifty  years  ago,  instead  of 
being  guided  by  these  plain  scriptural  teachings,  and  ma- 
king the  cases  to  which  we  have  referred  models,  the  ut- 
2 


1 8  INTRODUCTION. 

most  obscurity  and  confusion  prevailed  with  regard  to  the 
way  in  which  a  sinner  must  come  to  God ;  so  much  so,  in- 
deed, that  it  is  doubtful  whether  any  view  could  have  been 
presented  that  would  have  been  so  generally  rejected,  as 
that  a  sinner  could  be  saved  by  reading  and  obeying  the 
instructions  contained  in  the  New  Testament.  The  most 
prevalent  idea  with  regard  to  this  matter  was,  that  the  con- 
version of  a  sinner  was  an  exercise  of  miraculous  power  on 
the  part  of  God,  which  the  sinner  could  neither  so  control 
as  to  bring  himself  under  its  influence,  nor  resist  when  he 
was  subjected  to  it.  A  favorite  mode  of  expressing  this 
view  was,  that  the  sinner  had  no  more  power  to  turn  to  God 
than  Lazarus  had  to  raise  himself  from  the  dead  ;  and  no 
more  ability  to  resist  the  power  of  God  when  it  came  upon 
him,  than  the  dead  Lazarus  had  to  resist  the  call  of  the 
Son  of  God.  No  uniform  view  of  the  law  of  Christ,  or  of 
the  power  of  his  truth,  seemed  to  be  present  to  the  minds 
of  preachers  when -addressing  the  people.  Conversion  was 
as  much  a  mystery  to  them  as  to  their  hearers;  they  might 
be  converted  instantaneously  or  after  a  long  season ;  the 
most  careless  and  indifferent  might  be  made  to  yield  when 
they  neither  expected  nor  desired  to  do  so ;  while  others, 
sincere,  earnest,  weeping  penitents,  might  seek  the  same 
blessing,  yet  seek  in  vain  ;  thus  causing  the  inquiry  to  rise 
m  many  hearts.  Why  should  God  be  favorable  to  those  who 
neglect  and  even  resist  his  grace,  and  yet  be  deaf  to  the 
tears  and  beseechings  of  those  who  seek  his  face  sorrowing? 
The  following  scene,  witnessed  by  the  writer,  not  forty  years 
since,  will  serve  to  illustrate  the  point  before  us,  and  is  by 
no  means  an  exaggerated  picture  of  the  state  of  things  at 
the  time  of  which  we  write.  A  revival  meeting  was  in  prog- 
ress, and  a  large  number  of  persons  were  at  the  altar  of 
prayer,  and  the  ministers  and  some  of  the  leading  members 


INTR  OD  UC  TION.  I  ^ 

were  giving  the  seekers,  as  they  were  termed,  such  instruc- 
tions as  it  was  thought  their  condition  required  ;  but  all 
their  efforts  seemed  of  no  avail ;  the  penitents  were  evi- 
dently willing  to  be  saved,  but  the  blessing  they  were  seek- 
ing, and  which  their  spiritual  guides  taught  them  to  expect, 
was  denied.  One  of  the  ministers  was  called  on  to  pray 
for  the  mourners,  and,  after  entreating  heaven  earnestly  and 
fervently  on  their  behalf,  thus  concluded  his  prayer:  ''O 
Lord!  here  are  sinners  desiring  to  be  converted;  Lord, 
they  can  not  convert  themselves;  O  Lord,  we  can  not 
convert  them.  No  one,  O  Lord,  can  convert  them  but 
thyself;"  and  then,  changing  his  tone  of  voice,  added:  ''and 
now,  Lord,  why  don't  you  do  it?"  While  it  is  true  that 
expressions  like  that  with  which  he  closed  his  prayer  were 
uncommon,  the  feeling  expressed  in  the  previous  part  of  it 
with  regard  to  the  sinners'  inability,  and  the  inefficiency  of 
human  instrumentality,  the  feeling  that  the  conversion  of 
sinners  was  to  be  effected  by  something  beyond  their  own 
power  was  almost  universal. 

The  thought  that  a  man  had  the  power  to  turn  to  God  in 
obedience  to  the  teaching  of  the  Scriptures,  or  that  minis- 
ters, bearing  in  their  hearts  and  on  their  tongues  the  divine 
message  of  mercy,  had  power  to  turn  their  fellow-men  from 
darkness  to  light,  and  from  the  power  of  Satan  to  God,  by 
presenting  the  facts,  motives,  and  conditions  of  the  gospel, 
would  then  have  been  as  strange  and  startling  as  if  it  had 
been  presented  for  the  first  time,  instead  of  having  been 
the  rule  in  all  the  conversions  which  took  place  under  the 
ministry  of  the  apostles.  In  their  day  no  one  was  con- 
verted until  he  heard  the  gospel  preached,  and  those  who 
heard  the  glad  message,  believed  it,  and  obeyed  the  in- 
structions given  by  those  whom  Christ  sent  forth  to  convert 
the  nations;  were  made  free  from  sin,  and  happy  in  their 


20  I^^TR  on  UCTION. 

obedience  to  the  truth.  Under  their  ministry,  to  hear,  be- 
lieve, and  obey  the  gospel  was  to  be  converted.  Conversion 
consisted  in  having  mind,  heart,  conduct,  and  state  changed 
by  a  belief  of,  and  obedience  to,  the  truth ;  every  man  was 
active  in  his  own  conversion,  and  was  urged  to  be  so  by 
apostolic  authority,  in  such  language  as,  *'Save  yourselves 
from  this  untoward  generation."  ''Repent,  and  turn, 
that  your  sins  may  be  blotted  out."  "  Repent,  and  be  bap- 
tized, every  one  of  you,  in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ,  for 
the  remission  of  sins." 

But  at  this  time,  man  was  regarded  as  passive  in  conver- 
sion ;  he  was  not  required  to  do  any  thing  ;  could  do  noth- 
ing ;  the  work  was  God's  alone.  How  many  are  there  wko 
yet  remember  the  state  of  things  we  have  described  ;  those 
who  attended  for  years  the  ministry  of  eminent  preachers  in 
the  various  denominations;  who  felt  themselves  to  be  sin- 
ners, but  never  were  able  to  learn,  from  what  they  heard, 
what  they  were  to  do  to  be  saved ;  that  was  in  the  hands 
of  God,  and  was  as  much  a  matter  of  uncertainty  as  the 
next  drouth  or  the  next  shower,  and  one  over  which  they 
had  as  little  control.  It  was  an  age  of  marvels.  God  was 
expected  to  act  as  if  he  had  revealed  no  plan  of  salvation, 
as  if  the  great  commission  were  no  longer  in  force ;  con- 
versions were  as  various  as  the  temperaments  of  different 
individuals :  those  of  persons  of  quick  sensibilities  and 
lively  fancies  were  bright  and  clear,  sometimes  excelling 
even  the  most  striking  cases  of  a  miraculous  age ;  while  per- 
sons of  calm,  thoughtful  habits  were  so  far  from  reaching 
such  raptures  that  they  were  almost  reduced  to  despair. 
Nor  was  this  confined  to  one  denomination  or  the  more 
ignorant  portion  of  the  community,  as  the  following  in- 
stance, by  no  means  a  rare  one,  will  show.  A  very  learned 
and  pious  bishop,  who  dated  his  conversion  at  the  time  of 


1X77^  OD  UCTION.  2  I 

which  we  write,  gives  the  following  remarkable  account  of 
it :  "While  in  a  retired  place,  praying,  the  witness  of  the 
Spirit  was  vouchsafed  to  me.  A  voice  spoke,  saying.  Thy 
sins  which  are  many  are  forgiven  thee.  I  looked  up  and 
around,  and  every  thing  wore  the  garb  of  beauty." 

This  is  a  more  wonderful  case  than  any  recorded  in  the 
sacred  volume,  surpassing  even  that  of  Saul  of  Tarsus,  for 
even  in  his  case  the  Savior  did  not  utter  the  words  of  par- 
don, but  directed  him  to  go  to  Damascus,  where  it  should 
be  told  him  what  he  must  do ;  and  the  instructions  he  re- 
ceived show  that  he  was  not  released  from  any  duty  en- 
joined on  the  humblest  disciple.  But  in  the  case  to  which 
we  have  referred,  the  Spirit  is  made  to  utter  the  words  ot 
pardon,  which  it  is  never  represented  as  doing  in  the  word 
of  God.  But  at  the  time  to  which  we  refer,  the  wonderful 
was  common ;  a  dream,  a  light,  a  voice,  the  creature  of  an 
exalted  or  excited  fancy  was  deemed  better  evidence  of  the 
favor  of  God  than  to  obey  the  teachings  of  the  Bible,  or 
to  imitate  the  example  of  those  who  were  converted  under 
the  teaching  of  the  apostles  themselves.  In  a  word,  a  dim 
and  mysterious  speculative  theology  was  dispensed  from 
the  pulpit,  and  substituted  for  the  plain  and  simple  teach- 
ing of  the  word  of  God.  Nay,  the  word  of  God  was  com- 
monly spoken  of  as  a  dead  letter ;  nearly  every  thing  was 
made  to  depend  on  an  influence  of  the  Spirit,  separate  and 
distinct  from  the  written  Word ;  and  the  feelings,  frames  of 
mind,  and  the  emotions  were  supposed  to  be  the  opera- 
tions of  the  Holy  Spirit  on  the  heart,  even  when  these 
were  often  in  direct  opposition  to  the  declarations  of  the 
Scriptures  of  truth.  A  man,  for  instance,  would  admit  that 
neither  Moses  or  Christ  had  said  any  thing  with  regard  to 
infant  baptism,  that  the  Old  and  New  Testament  were  alike 
silent  with  regard  to  it,  and  yet  prove  it  to  be  right,  to  his 


22  INTRODUCTION. 

own  satisfaction,  at  least,  by  saying  that  the  Holy  Spirit  had 
written  on  his  heart,  in  letters  of  fire,  that  he  ought  to  have 
his  children  baptized.  What  a  man  felt  was  deemed  better 
evidence  than  either  the  silence  of  Scripture  or  a  positive 
thus  saith  the  Lord.  Ministers,  very  generally  claimed  to 
be  specially  called,  qualified,  and  sent  to  preach  the  gospel, 
claimed  to  be  "called  of  God,  as  was  Aaron,"  although 
that  language  is  used  with  reference  to  the  Savior  himself; 
claimed  to  be  embassadors  of  Christ,  and  yet  often  won- 
derfully mystified  their  hearers,  who  could  not  very  clearly 
understand  why  it  was  that  men  who  claimed  to  be  called 
and  sent  of  God,  and  embassadors  of  Jesus  Christ,  should 
present  such  different  messages ;  and  why  one  embassador 
should,  by  divine  authority,  be  pulling  down 'what  another 
embassador  was  endeavoring  to  build  up.  The  credentials 
of  this  high  office  were  sometimes  as  singular  as  the  claims 
were  great ;  one  minister,  regarded  as  the  foremost  man  in 
his  denomination,  placed  great  confidence  in  a  dream  he 
had  in  regard  to  this  matter.  In  his  dream  he  was  carried 
to  Palestine,  and,  in  a  room  full  of  people  arrayed  in  the 
costume  of  the  orientals,  he  saw  one  who  seemed  more  than 
mortal ;  this  personage  singled  the  dreamer  out  from  the  rest 
of  the  throng,  approached  him,  and,  in  a  voice  of  singular 

sweetness,  said  to  him  :  "  George  B feed  my  sheep ;" 

and  he  knew  that  it  was  the  Savior  of  men  that  spoke. 
The  claim  to  a  special  call,  however,  was  maintained  with 
the  greatest  pertinacity  by  those  who  were  distinguished  by 
nothing  save  an  utter  unfitness  for  the  sacred  office ;  and 
the  oracles  uttered  by  these  unlettered  ones  were  frequently 
of  the  most  astounding  nature.  Professors  of  religion,  as 
a  general  rule,  were  much  better  acquainted  with  the  tenets 
of  their  particular  party  than  with  the  Bible.  Conformity 
to  party  views  was  the  test  of  orthodoxy ;  and  to  deny  the 


INTRODUCTION.  23 

teachings  of  the  Church  Standards,  whether  Creed,  Cate- 
chism, or  Confession  of  Faith,  even  though  the  Bible  were 
silent  in  regard  to  such  matters,  was  quite  as  heretical  and 
dangerous  as  to  deny  the  clearest  and  most  explicit  declar- 
ations of  Holy  Writ.  Many  of  the  religious  parties  re- 
garded each  other  as  the  Jews  and  Samaritans  formerly 
did ;  and  the  union  of  Christians,  for  which  the  Savior 
prayed  with  almost  his  dying  breath,  and  when  nearly  in 
sight  of  the  cross,  was  regarded  not  only  as  unattainable, 
but  even  undesirable.  In  view  of  the  state  of  things  which 
then  prevailed,  we  are  able  now  to  place  something  like  a 
proper  estimate  upon  the  work  of  those  men  by  whose  labors 
such  a  great  and  blessed  change  has  been  effected — a  change 
quite -as  deserving  of  the  name  of  a  reformation  as  that 
which  was  wrought  by  Luther  or  Wesley. 

Nay,  the  movement  of  which  we  write  resulted  in  a  change 
deeper  and  more  radical  than  that  effected  by  either  Luther 
or  Wesley ;  and,  without  the  least  disparagement  of  these 
great  and  good  men,  we  may  say,  with  truth,  that  their 
work  was  only  preparatory  to  the  reformation  of  the  nine- 
teenth century,  which  has  carried  out  into  practice,  truths 
which  those  earlier  reformers  only  dimly  and  partially  per- 
ceived. Luther's  work  in  the  main  was  a  protest  against 
the  grosser  and  more  evident  corruptions  of  the  Church  of 
Rome,  and  Wesley's  a  protest  against  the  formalism,  want 
of  spirituality,  and  lack  of  zeal  for  the  welfare  of  the  souls 
of  men  by  which  the  State  religion — Episcopalianism — was 
characterized.  The  poverty  and  abundant  labors  of  the 
apostles,  contrasted  with  the  wealth  and  ease  of  the  higher 
orders  of  the  clergy  of  his  day,  stirred  up  his  soul  to  an  ex- 
hibition of  zeal,  self-denial,  and  labor  truly  apostolic  ;  for 
no  man  ever  demonstrated  better  than  he  what  should  be 
the  life  of  a  preacher  of  the  gospel — not  a  life  of  lettered 


24  IXTRODUCTIOX. 

ease,  droning  out  a  fcAv  theological  platitudes  once  or  twice 
a  week  to  a  drowsy  and  listless  auditory,  and  spending  the 
rest  in  the  library,  at  the  luxurious  feast,  or  amid  the 
coarser  joys  of  the  chase  or  the  revel ;  but  a  life  of  inces- 
sant toil,  visiting  the  sick  and  in  prison,  teaching  the  ignor- 
ant, relieving  the  distressed,  preaching  in  churchyard, 
field,  and  moor,  wherever  opportunity  offered ;  preaching 
especially  to  the  poor,  and  showing  how  the  servant  may 
imitate  the  example  of  the  master  by  going  about  doing 
good.  It  is  no  part  of  our  purpose  to  undervalue  such 
lives  and  labors  as  these ;  truth,  purity,  and  goodness  should 
be  honored  wherever  they  are  found ;  and  such  men  as 
Luther  and  Wesley  belong  not  to  a  sect  or  party,  but  to 
humanity,  and  we  institute  a  comparison  not  between  men, 
but  principles,  when  we  say  that  the  Reformation  of  our 
own  times  contemplates  a  greater  work  than  the  reforms  of 
any  preceding  age.  Contemplates,  we  say  ;  we  do  not 
claim  that  all  is  done  that  needs  to  be  done,  and  that  must 
be  done,  before  the  church  of  Christ  shall  appear  before  a 
scoffing  world,  fair  as  the  moon,  clear  as  the  sun,  and  ter- 
rible as  an  army  with  triumphant  banners.  We  claim, 
however,  that  the  right  path  has  been  entered  upon,  and 
the  right  principles  discovered,  which,  if  persevered  in  and 
carried  out  to  their  legitimate  issue,  can  not  fail  to  promote 
the  purity  and  spread  of  our  holy  religion  and  the  union 
of  all  who  love  our  Common  Lord.  The  Bible  can  not 
lead  any  faithful  and  earnest  soul  astray  who  sincerely  de- 
sires to  come  to  the  Savior  ;  and  as  surely  as  that  word  is  the 
sinner's  best  and  safest  guide,  so  surely  is  it  the  only  plat- 
form on  which  all  true  believers  can  stand.  There  can, 
then,  be  no  misgivings  as  to  the  correctness  of  our  course 
when  we  point  sinners  to  the  Lamb  of  God  in  the  very 
terms  which  the  apostles  employed  for  that  purpose,  and 


INTRODUCTION.  25 

when  we  propose  the  Bible  in  the  place  of  any  and  all 
creeds  as  the  basis  of  Christian  union.  The  Reformation, 
then,  of  which  we  speak,  may,  with  greater  propriety,  be 
called  a  Restoration,  or  a  return  to  primitive  and  original 
ground.  That  such  a  course  is  possible  is  evident  from 
the  fact  that  the  state  of  things  to  which  we  aim  to  return 
once  existed.  And  that  such  a  course  is  best  must  be  evi- 
dent from  the  fact  that  the  religion  of  Jesus  Christ,  as  pre 
sented  in  the  New  Testament,  is  as  far  beyond  the  power  ot 
man  to  change  or  improve  as  the  laws  of  the  material 
world ;  as  incapable  of  being  improved  as  the  air  that  we 
breathe,  or  heaven's  own  sunlight. 

That  such  a  view  of  things  should  ever  have  been  lost 
sight  of  is  indeed  astonishing ;  but  that  all  the  confusion 
and  strife  which  has  arisen  in  the  religious  world  had  its 
origin  in  a  departure  from  the  word  of  God,  and  substitut- 
ing human  reason  and  expediency  in  its  place,  no  one  can, 
with  truth,  deny.  How  sad  and  wide  this  departure  was 
may  be  gathered  from  the  history  of  those  times.  Men 
seemed  to  have  forgotten  that  Christ  himself  is  the  Head  ot 
his  own  church,  its  only  rightful  and  true  Lawgiver;  that 
the  Father  gave  him  this  position  when  he  gave  him  all 
authority  in  heaven  and  earth,  and  constituted  him  head 
over  all  things  to  the  church,  all  of  which  was  indicated 
when  God  broke  the  silence  of  the  transfiguration  scene 
with  the  solemn  and  impressive  words,  ''  This  is  my  be- 
loved Son;  hear  ye  him."  The  fact  that  all  this  had  been 
forgotten,  and,  in  a  great  measure,  departed  from,  as  proved 
by  the  general  prevalence  of  creeds,  and  a  corresponding 
ignorance  of,  and  departure  from,  the  Bible ;  the  preferring 
of  modern  human  names  to  the  scriptural  ones,  Disciple 
and  Christian  ;  the  strifes,  discords,  and  divisions  which  ex- 
isted ;  the  different  and   conflicting  views  with  regard  to 


26      •  INTRODUCTION. 

nearly  every  important  element  of  faith  and  practice ;  all 
indicated  that  a  Reformation,  or  return  to  original  ground, 
was  needed  ;  the  times  demanded  it,  and  the  men  were  not 
wanting  to  enter  upon  the  work,  which  in  their  hands  was 
attended  with  such  glorious  and  abundant  success.  And 
now  that  the  Disciples  have  a  name,  an  influence,  and  a 
history  such  as  makes  them  a  power  in  tli^e  religious  world, 
what  we  have  said  in  regard  to  their  views  and  aims  may 
seem  to  be  a  needless  repetition  of  those  things  which  are 
most  surely  believed  among  us,  of  which  few  among  the 
hundreds,  nay  thousands,  of  our  churches,  and  the  tens  ot 
thousands,  nay  hundreds  of  thousands,  of  their  members 
are  ignorant ;  but  our  purpose  is  to  show  the  many  ten 
thousands  of  our  brethren  who  have  been  gathered  into  the 
fold  of  Christ  during  the  past  twenty  or  thirty  years,  that 
the  scriptural  views  to  which  they  have  always  been  accus- 
tomed, and  which  they  can  hardly  conceive  could  ever 
have  been  lost  sight  of,  were  regarded,  in  the  times  to 
which  we  have  referred,  by  the  great  majority  of  religious 
people,  as  the  greatest  and  worst  of  heresies  ;  and  by  those 
who  first  had  their  attention  arrested  and  hearts  won  by 
them  as  having  almost  the  freshness,  and  giving  the  joy  of, 
a  new  revelation.  We  wish  our  brethren  also  to  realize 
something  of  the  care,  the  toil,  the  anxieties,  the  persecu- 
tions and  misrepresentations  endured  by  such  men  as  him 
whose  life  we  propose  to  lay  before  them ;  into  whose  labors 
so  many  have  entered — the  great  fight  of  afflictions  through 
which  they  passed  in  order  to  establish  those  views 
and  principles  which  we  wonder  could  ever  have  been  a 
matter  of  doubt,  much  less  of  bftter  and  violent  opposition. 
Having,  under  the  blessing  of  God,  from  feeble  beginnings 
become  a  multitude,  we  should  never  forget  those  great 
and  godly  men  whose  labors  have  brought  to  us  such  bles- 


INTRODUCTION. 


27 


sings,  and  whose  example  should  ever  lead  us  to  guard  well 
the  precious  trust  they  have  committed  to  our  hands.  A 
graceful,  loving,  and  elaborate  tribute  has  been  made  to  the 
memory  of  Alexander  Campbell,  and  one  that  shall  long 
endure  to  instruct  and  delight,  by  one  whose  pen  adorns 
whatever  it  touches.  Ten  years  and  more  have  passed 
since  his  life-long  friend  and  devoted  fellow-laborer  fell 
asleep,  and  the  tribute  which  all  feel  to  be  his  due  has  not 
been  offered ;  that  duty  has  fallen  upon  me,  and  did  not 
my  heart  urge  me  on  my  hand  would  falter;  and,  there- 
fore, if  with  feebler  powers  than  many  others,  yet  at  least 
with  equal  love  I  present  the  following  humble  offering  to 
the  memory  of  Walter  Scott. 


LIFE    OF 

ELDER  WALTER  SCOTT. 

CHAPTER    I. 

Birth — Ancestr)' — Education — Singing  in  the  street  at  midnight — Emi- 
grates to  the  United  States — Goes  westward  on  foot — Employed  as 
teacher — Is  baptized. 

WALTER  SCOTT  was  born  in  Moffat,  Dum- 
friesshire, Scotland,  on  the  31st  of  October, 
1796.  He  was  of  the  same  ancestry  as  his  world- 
renowned  namesake  Sir  Walter  Scott,  whose  poems 
and  historical  novels  created  such  an  interest  in  the 
reading  world  in  the  early  part  of  the  present  cen- 
tury, and  which  have  given  him  such  a  distinguished 
and  permanent  place  among  British  authors.  In  the 
veins  of  both  ran  the  blood  of  the  heroes  of  the 
famous  border  feuds,  among  whom  Wat.  of  Harden 
held  so  notable  a  place  for  deeds  of  daring  not  so  hon- 
orable now  as  then  ;  but  blood  will  tell,  and  the  spirit 
which  made  Wat.  of  Harden  the  most  chivalric  and 
fearless  of  raiders,  under  different  and  more  benign 
influences,  made  one  of  his  descendants  the  foremost 
author  of  his  day,  and  another,  one  of  the  chief  mov- 
ers and  promoters  of  the  greatest  religious  Reforma- 
tion of  modern  times.  The  immediate  ancestors  of 
the  subject  of  these  memoirs  were  John  Scott  and 
Mary  Innes,  who  were  J:he  parents  of  ten  children, 

(29) 


30  LIFE  OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCOTT. 

five  sons  and  five  daughters,  of  which  Walter  was 
the  fourth  son  and  the  sixth  child.  His  father  was  a 
music  teacher  of  some  celebrity,  a  man  of  consider- 
able culture  and  agreeable  manners.  Both  were 
strict  members  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  in  which 
faith  all  their  children  were  diligently  instructed.  His 
mother  was  deeply  and  unfeignedly  pious — a  woman 
full  of  kindness  and  sympathy,  sweet  of  speech  and 
fruitful  in  good  deeds.  She  was,  moreover,  of  a 
deeply  sensitive  nature,  of  which  her  death  afforded 
a  striking  and  melancholy  proof.  Her  husband  was 
taken  ill  in  the  neighboring  town  of  Annan,  and  died 
very  suddenly.  The  shock  was  so  great  to  her  sensi- 
tive and  loving  heart  that  she  died  immediately  after 
hearing  the  sad  tidings  ;  and  they  were  both  buried  at 
the  same  time  in  the  same  grave.  At  a  very  early  age 
Walter  gave  such  evidence  of  decided  talent,  that  his 
parents  determined  to  give  him  every^  advantage  for 
its  development ;  and  though  at  that  period  a  colle- 
giate education  was  in  the  reach  only  of  the  sons  of 
the  wealthy,  the  moderate  resources  of  the  family 
were  so  husbanded  and  economized  as  to  enable  him, 
after  the  necessary  academic  preparation,  to  enter 
the  University  of  Edinburgh,  where  he  remained 
until  the  completion  of  his  college  course.  In  afford- 
ing him  these  opportunities,  it  was  the  wish  and 
prayer  of  his  parents  that  he  should  devote  himself 
to  the  ministry  of  the  church  of  which  they  were 
members.  With  these  washes  and  prayers  his  own 
feelings  were  in  full  accord,  and  all  his  preparations 
had  that  end  in  view.  During  his  stay  in  Edinburgh 
he  made  his  abode  with  an  aunt  who  resided  there, 
and  pursued  his  studies  with  a  zeal  and  success  that 


ED  CCA  now  31 

fully  met  the  predictions  of  his  friends  and  the  hopes 
of  the  family.  Although  of  a  cheerful  disposition  and 
fond  of  social  pleasures,  he  happily  avoided  the  follies 
and  dissipations  into  which  many  of  his  fellow-stu- 
dents were  drawn  ;  and  he  even  made  his  recreations 
not  only  agreeable  but  improving.  He  had  naturally 
a  good  voice  and  a  fine  ear  for  music,  both  of  which 
had  been  cultivated  at  home,  under  the  instructions 
of  his  father. 

The  talent  and  skill  of  Walter  in  this  respect  attracted 
the  attention  of  an  eminent  musician  in  Edinburgh, 
who  had  formerly  been  leader  of  a  military  band  in 
the  expedition  to  Egypt,  in  which  Sir  Ralph  Aber- 
crombie  lost  his  life.  This  gentleman,  admiring  the 
talent  of  young  Scott,  volunteered  to  give  him  in- 
structions on  the  flute,  and  such  rapid  progress  did 
he  make  that  he  soon  surpassed  his  teacher,  and  was 
acknowledged  to  be  the  most  skillful  performer  on 
that  instrument  in  the  whole  city.  While  attending 
the  University  an  incident  took  place  which  is  spe- 
cially note-worthy  from  the  fact  that  it  was  eminently 
characteristic  of  the  man  in  all  his  after  life — small  in 
itself,  yet  one  of  those  key-notes  to  the  whole  life 
and  conduct  ever  to  be  found  in  the  lives  of  the  great 
and  good.  Among  the  Scotch  great  importance  is 
attached  to  the  individual  who  first  crosses  the  thresh- 
old after  the  clock  has  struck  twelve  at  midnight  on 
the  31st  of  December,  or  who,  as  they  phrase  it,  is 
the  "first  foot"  in  a  house  after  the  new  year  has 
begun.  The  first  visitor  or  "first  foot"  stamps  the 
"luck"  of  the  house — the  good  or  evil  fortune  of  its 
inmates  for  the  year.  Plence,  every  house  at  that 
season   has   its   company   passing   the   evening  in  a 


33  LIFE  OF  ELDER    WALTER  SCOTT. 

pleasant  way,  enlivened  by  song  or  story,  and  among 
one  class  by  what  they  misname  good  liquor.  As 
soon  as  the  hour  of  twelve  has  struck  all  present  rise, 
shake  hands,  and  wish  one  another  a  happy  New 
Year,  and  not  a  few  drink  the  health  of  each  other, 
with  some  such  sentiment  as  "  May  the  year  that's 
awa  be  the  warst  o'  our  lives."  But  whether  there  be 
the  drinking  or  the  more  temperate  greeting  and 
good  wishes,  in  all  companies  is  heard  the  question, 
"  I  wonder  who  will  be  owr  first  foot,''  or,  as  we  would 
say,  our  first  caller  in  the  New  Year.  In  consequence 
of  this  custom  the  streets  at  midnight  on  the  last 
night  of  the  year  are  as  densely  crowded  as  they  usu- 
ally are  at  midday,  the  throng,  too,  a  happy  one,  each 
one  intent  on  being  ^'  first  foot''  in  the  house  of  some 
friend,  each  one  hoping  to  bear  with  him  good  luck. 
On  one  of  these  nights  Walter,  then  about  sixteen 
years  of  age,  in  company  with  his  brother  James, 
went  over  the  old  Edinburgh  bridge  to  put  "  first 
foot"  in  the  house  of  some  friend.  Having  accom- 
plished their  object,  they  went  forth  on  the  still 
crowded  streets,  and  after  recrossing  the  bridge  Wal- 
ter was  suddenly  missed  by  his  brother,  who,  suppos- 
ing that  something  had  for  a  moment  attracted  his 
attention  among  the  crowds  they  had  been  constantly 
meeting,  hastened  home,  expecting  to  meet  him  there. 
Walter,  however,  had  not  come,  and,  after  waiting 
until  his  fears  began  to  arise,  he  w^ent  to  the  bridge 
where  he  had  missed  him.  Here  he  found  quite  a 
crowd  assembled,  and  from  the  midst  of  it  came  the 
sound  of  the  clear  sweet  voice  of  his  brother,  singing 
one  of  the  sweetest  of  Old  Scotia's  songs.  Wonder- 
ing what  could  have  so  suddenly  converted  his  youth- 


SINGIA'G  IN  THE  STREET.  33 

fill  and  somewhat  bashful  brother  into  a  street  min- 
strel at  midnight,  he  pressed  his  way  to  the  midst  of 
the  throng,  and  found  a  scene  which  told  its  own 
story.  The  young  singer  was  standin'g  upon  the 
stone  steps  of  one  of  the  shops  near  the  bridge,  and 
a  step  or  two  below  him  stood  a  blind  beggar  hold- 
ing out  his  hat  to  receive  the  pennies  which  ever  and 
anon  in  the  intervals  between  the  songs  the  crowd 
would  bestow.  All  day  long  the  blind  man  had  sat 
and  begged,  and,  knowing  that  the  street  would  be 
crowded  that  night  even  more  than  it  had  been  dur- 
ing the  day,  he  hoped  that  night  would  yield  him  the 
charity  which  he  had  implored  almost  in  vain  through 
the  livelong  day.  But  the  crowds  were  intent,  on 
pleasure  and  friendly  greetings,  and  few  responded 
to  the  appeal  of  him  to  whom  day  brought  no  light, 
and  whose  night  was  no  darker  than  his  day.  Young 
Walter  drew  near,  and  his  heart  was  touched  by  his 
mute  imploring  look,  which  had  taken  the  place  of 
the  almost  useless  appeal,  "Give  a  penny  to  the 
blind  man."  He  had  neither  gold  nor  silver  to  give, 
but  he  stopped  and  inquired  as  to  his  success,  and 
found  that  few  had  pitied  and  relieved  his  wants. 
His  plan  was  formed  in  a  moment ;  he  took  his  place 
by  the  beggar's  side  and  began  singing,  in  a  voice 
shrill  and  sweet,  a  strain  which  few  Scotchmen  could 
hear  unmoved.  The  steps  of  nearly  all  who  passed 
that  way  were  arrested  ;  soon  a  crowd  gathered,  and 
when  the  song  ended  he  made  an  appeal  for  pennies, 
which  brought  a  shower  of  them,  mingled  now  and 
then  with  silver,  such  as  never  had  fallen  into  the 
blind  man's  hat  before.  Another  and  another  song 
was  called  for,  and  at  the  close  of  each  the  finger  of 


34  Z/Zit   OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCOTT. 

the  singer  pointed  significantly,  and  hot  in  vain,  to  the 
blind  man's  hat ;  and  thus  he  sang  far  into  the  night; 
and  when  he  ceased,  the  blind  beggar  implored 
heaven's  richest  blessings  on  the  head  of  the  youth- 
ful singer,  and  bore  home  with  him  the  means  of 
support  and  comfort  for  many  a  coming  day.  This 
story  came  from  the  lips  of  his  brother,  who  is  still 
living,  and  who  found  him  engaged  as  already  de- 
scribed ;  but  were  its  truth  less  clearly  established, 
all  whoknew  him  in  after  life  would  readily  believe  it ; 
they  would  say  it  is  true — it  is  just  like  Walter  Scott. 
Martin  Luther  is  said  to  have  sung  and  begged  for 
the  brotherhood  of  monks  to  which  he  belonged.  He 
sung  because  he  was  sent  in  the  interest  of  the  lazy 
drones  of  the  monastic  hive  ;  it  was  with  him  a  duty,, 
and  doubtless  a  painful  and  degrading  one  ;  but  the 
youthful  Scott  sang  from  the  fullness  of  a  sympa- 
thetic heart  in  the  interest  of  suffering  humanity. 

Not  long  after  he  had  completed  his  education  a 
sudden  and  unexpected  turn  in  his  history  took  place, 
which,  without  being  intended  as  a  prelude  to  the 
part  he  was  to  act  in  life,  proved  to  be  in  reality  one 
of  the  most  important  steps  in  his  whole  career. 
That  event  was  his  coming  to  the  United  States,  a 
matter  which  had  not  entered  into  his  own  plan  of 
life,  or  been  contemplated  by  his  friends  and  family. 
His  mother  had  a  brother,  Gearge  Innes,  in  the  city 
of  New  York,  who  had  years  before  obtained  a  place 
under  the  Government  in  the  custom-house.  Such 
was  his  faithfulness  and  integrity  that  he  retained  his 
place  through  several  successive  administrations  ;  and 
having  succeeded  well  himself,  he  was  anxious  to 
further  the  interests  of  his  relatives  still  in  his  native 


GOES  WESTWARD  ON  FCOT.  35 

land.  He,  therefore,  wrote  to  his  sister  to  send  one 
of  her  boys  over  to  this  country,  promising  to  do  all 
in  his  power  for  his  advancement.  The  proposal  was 
very  agreeable  to  the  family,  and,  as  Walter  was  best 
fitted  by  his  superior  education  for  the  emergencies 
and  opportunities  of  a  new  country,  it  was  decided 
that  he  should  go,  and  accordingly  he  sailed  from 
Greenock  in  the  good  ship  Glenthorn,  Capt.  Stillman, 
and  arrived  in  New  York  on  the  7th  of  July,  18 18, 
and  on  his  arrival  was  kindly  welcomed  by  his  uncle, 
through  whose  influence  he  soon  obtained  a  situation 
as  Latin  tutor  in  a  classical  academy  on  Long  Island. 

In  this  position,  however,  he  did  not  long  remain. 
He  had  made  some  acquaintances  in  the  city  of  New 
York,  and  from  them  heard  glowing  reports  of  the 
West,  as  all  the  region  beyond  the  Allegheny  Mount- 
ains was  then  called  ;  and  he  resolved  to  see  for  him- 
self the  land  of  which  he  had  heard  so  much.  On 
foot,  with  a  light  heart  and  a  light  purse,  with  a 
young  man  about  his  own  age  as  a  traveling  com- 
panion, he  set  out,  not  dreaming  that  in  that  far  land 
he  would  find  a  home,  and  without  a  suspicion  of  the 
part  he  would  be  called  upon  to  play  in  the  great 
religious  movement  then  in  its  incipiency  through  the 
labors  of  the  Campbells,  father  and  son,  but  of  which 
at  that  time  he  was  in  total  ignorance. 

This  journey  of  Scott  and  his  young  comrade, 
though  a  long  one,  was  far  from  being  wearisome 
and  tedious.  Each  day's  travel  brought  new  scenes, 
and  each  night  new  society,  and  the  lessons  drawn 
from  nature  and  human  nature  were  not  without 
their  worth  in  after  years.  Our  young  collegian,  hav- 
ing passed  much  of  his  life  in  the  city  of  Edinburgh, 


36  LIFE  OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCOTT. 

had  never  seen  a  forest  until  he  visited  this  country  ; 
and  it  was  indeed  a  new  world  to  him  when  he 
passed  through  the  rich  and  varied  forest  scenery  of 
the  Atlantic  slope,  the  great  pines  of  the  Allegheny 
Mountains  ;  and  gazed  with  wonder  and  admiration 
from  their  summit  at  the  then  almost  unbroken  forests 
of  the  West.  What  a  contrast,  too,  he  found  between 
the  mode  of  life,  the  comforts  of  civilization,  and  thb 
society  to  which  he  had  been  accustomed  in  Edin- 
burgh and  New  York,  and  the  manners  and  customs 
of  the  dwellers  in  the  humble  abodes  where  he  found 
shelter  for  the  night ;  but  it  mattered  not  to  him 
whether  nightfall  found  him  at  some  wayside  inn, 
amid  a  throng  of  hardy  yet  somewhat  rude  teamsters, 
who  then  did  all  the  carrying  trade  between  the  sea- 
board and  the  West,  by  the  camp-fires  of  an  emigrant 
family,  or  the  log  cabin  of  some  recent  settler,  or  the 
more  comfortable  farm-house.  Youth,  high  spirits, 
and  active  exercise  gave  zest  to  every  scene,  and 
made  whatever  society  he  found  enjoyable.  Often 
during  that  journey  did  the  travelers  beguile  the 
hours  with  songs  that  had  never  wakened  echoes  in 
those  forests  before  ;  and  as  the  evening  shades  drew 
on,  mindful  of  the  home  scenes  from  which  they  were 
parted,  they  lifted  up  their  voices  in  the  solemn  yet 
joyful  psalm.  Every  night's  sojourn  gave  them  an 
unfailing  subject  with  which  to  lighten  the  next  day's 
travel ;  and  the  memories  of  that  journey  were  cher- 
ished long  after  its  close,  and  were  sweeter  than  the 
experiences  of  after  years  in  passing  over  the  same 
route  in  coach  or  car. 

Reaching  Pittsburg  on  the  7th  of  May,   18 19,  he 
began  to  seek  for  some  employment,  and  soon  had 


BECOMES  A   TEACHER.  37 

the  good  fortune  to  fall  in  with  Mr.  George  Forrester, 
a  fellow-countryman,  and  the  principal  of  an  acade- 
my, by  whom  he  was  immediately  engaged  as  assist- 
ant in  his  school.  Somewhat  to  the  surprise  of  the 
young  teacher,  he  soon  made  the  discovery  that  his 
employer,  though  a  deeply  religious  man,  differed  very 
much  in  his  views  from  those  which  he  himself  had 
been  taught  to  regard  as  true.  Mr.  Forrester's  peculi- 
arity consisted  in  making  the  Bible  his  only  authority 
and  guide  in  matters  of  religion,  while  his  young  friend 
had  been  brought  up  to  regard  the  Presbyterian  Stand- 
ards as  the  true  and  authoritative  exposition  and  sum- 
mary of  Bible  truth.  Differing  as  they  did,  they  were, 
nevertheless,  both  lovers  of  the  truth,  and  the  frequent 
and  close  examinations  which  they  made  of  the  Script- 
ures resulted  in  convincing  Mr.  Scott  that  human 
standards  in  religion  were,  like  their  authors,  imper- 
fect ;  and  in  impressing  him  deeply  with  the  convic- 
tion that  the  word  of  God  was  the  only  true  and  sure 
guide.  Often,  after  the  labors  of  the  day  had  closed 
in  the  school-room,  they  would  prosecute  their  exami- 
nations of  the  Scriptures  far  into  the  night,  not  in  the 
spirit  of  controversy,  however,  but  with  an  earnest 
desire  to  know  the  will  of  God,  and  a  determination 
to  follow  wherever  his  word,  the  expression  of  his  will 
should  lead.  Mr.  Scott  now  felt  that  he  had  discov- 
ered the  true  theology;  the  Bible  had  for  him  a  mean- 
ing that  it  never  had  before  ;  that  is,  it  now  meant 
what  it  said,  and  to  devoutly  study  it  in  order  to 
reach  its  meaning,  was  to  put  himself  in  possession 
of  the  mind  and  will  of  God.  It  was  no  longer  a  re- 
pository of  texts,  from  which  to  draw  proofs  of  doc- 
trines of  modern  or  ancient  origin,  which  could  not  be 


38  LIFE  OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCOTT. 

expressed  in  the  words  of  Scripture,  but  a  revelation, 
an  unveiling  of  the  will  of  God — the  gospel  was  a 
message,  and  to  believe  and  obey  that  message  was  to 
be  a  Christian.  He  was  not  long  in  making  the  dis- 
covery that  infant  baptism  was  without  the  vestige  oi 
a  divine  warrant ;  that  wherever  baptism  v/as  enjoined, 
it  was  a  personal,  and  not  a  relative  duty;  that  it  was 
a  matter  that  no  more  admitted  of  a  proxy  than  faith, 
repentance,  or  any  other  act  of  obedience  ;  and  as  he 
had  rendered  no  service,  obeyed  no  command,  when 
he  had  been  made  the  subject  of  that  ordinance  as 
taught  and  practiced  by  Presbyterians,  he  had  not 
obeyed  the  command,  "  be  baptized." 
How  must  this  command  be  obeyed  t  next  engaged 
his  attention,  and  his  knowledge  of  the  Greek  lan- 
guage and  a  careful  examination  of  the  New  Testa- 
ment, soon  enabled  him  to  discover  that  sprinkling 
and  pouring  were  human  substitutes,  which  required 
neither  the  going  down  into,  nor  the  coming  up  out 
of,  the  water,  of  which  the  Scriptures  speak  when 
describing  this  ordinance.  The  modern  modes  also 
failed  to  agree  with  the  allusion  in  Scripture  to  bap- 
tism as  a  burial,  and  were  singularly  unlike  the  bap- 
tism of  Christ  by  John  in  the  river  Jordan  ;  and,  in 
accordance  with  his  convictions  that  there  was  but 
one  baptism  taught  in  the  word  of  God,  he  was  im- 
mersed by  Mr.  Forrester,  by  whose  instrumentality 
the  change  in  his  views  had  been  effected.  After  his 
baptism  he  united  with  a  small  body  of  baptized  be- 
lievers, which  had  been  gathered  together  and  formed 
into  a  church  by  the  labors  of  Mr.  Forrester ;  and  in 
their  society  he  found  that  peace  and  joy  to  which 
his  mind  had  been  a  stranger  during  the  period  that 


/S  BAPTIZED.  39 

the  change  we  have  described  was  going  on.  To  this 
Httle  congregation  Mr.  Scott  proved  a  very  valuable 
acquisition  ;  his  superior  education,  his  gifts,  zeal,  and 
piety  rendering  him  not  only  useful  but  causing  him 
to  be  greatly  beloved.  Realizing  what  the  gospel 
had  done  for  him,  in  freeing  his  mind  from  narrow 
sectarian  prejudices,  admiring  its  beautiful  simplic- 
ity, and  rejoicing  in  the  assurance  which  walking  in 
the  truth  imparted,  he  found  himself  possessed  by 
an  irresistible  desire  to  bring  others  to  that  Savior 
whose  truth  had  made  him  free.  Having  given  up 
so  much  that  was  dear  to  him,  but  having  gained  a 
truth  for  every  error  that  he  had  yielded,  he  supposed 
that  all  who  were  holding  error,  sincerely  regarding 
it  as  truth,  would  gladly,  like  himself,  be  undeceived. 
He  devoted  himself  earnestly  to  the  instruction  of  such, 
in  many  instances  with  success ;  but  found  in,  alas, 
too  many  cases  that  time  honored  and  popular  errors 
were  cherished  as  if  they  were  saving  truths.  He 
had  not,  however,  at  this  time  the  remotest  idea  of 
any  thing  like  a  great  religious  reformation  ;  the  posi- 
tion he  had  taken,  it  is  true,  was  in  opposition  to 
much  of  the  religious  teaching  of  the  day;  but  he  was 
like  a  traveler  who  had  just  entered  upon  a  new  and 
untried  path,  not  knowing  whither  it  would  lead.  But 
truth  is  always  revolutionary,  and  the  clearer  the  truth 
became  to  his  own  mind,  the  greater  need  there  seemed 
of  a  bold  and  fearless  advocacy.  Had  he  seen  this  at 
first,  he  might  have  shrunk  from  the  labor  and  the  op- 
probrium which  such  a  course  would  inevitably  bring  ; 
but  for  the  present  he  felt  only  as  most  young  con- 
verts feel :  a  sincere  and  earnest  desire  for  the  wel- 
fare of  the  souls  of  his  fellow-men  ;  and  with  a  very 


40  LIFE  OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCOTT. 

humble  estimate  of  his  abiUties  strove  to  do  good  to 
all  within  his  reach  as  he  had  opportunity.  The  lit- 
tle company  of  believers,  with  whom  he  had  associ- 
ated himself,  were  diligent  students  of  the  word  ot 
God,  humble,  pious  people,  mostly  Scotch  and  Irish; 
greatly  attached  to  Forrester,  their  religious  teacher 
and  guide,  whose  life  was  in  full  accord  with  his  teach- 
ings, and  among  them  Mr.  Scott  found  a  nearer  ap- 
proach to  the  purity  and  simplicity  of  the  primitive 
church  than  ever  he  had  seen  or  expected  to  find  on 
earth.  Amid  such  surroundings,  giving  his  days  to 
the  instruction  of  his  classes,  and  his  leisure  hours 
and  much  of  the  night  to  the  study  of  his  Bible,  the 
time  glided  swiftly  and  sweetly  away ;  a  quiet,  peace- 
ful, useful,  but  humble  life  seemed  all  that  the  future 
had  in  store  for  him,  and  more  than  this  seems  not 
to  have,  at  this  period  of  his  history,  entered  into  his 
thoughts  ;  but  he  who  called  David  from  the  sheep- 
fold  to  the  throne  had  a  greater  work  for  him  to  do, 
and  the  events  which  led  to  that  work,  began  rapidly 
to  unfold. 


BE  COMES  1  'A' A\  \  11  \l  L   OE  A  N  A  CA  DEM  Y.         4 1 


CHAPTER    II. 

Becomes  Principal  of  an  Academy — Sudden  death  of  Mr.  Forrester — An 
important  document — Gives  up  his  school — Visits  New  York — Dis- 
appointment. 

A  CHANGE  in  the  plans  of  Mr.  Forrester  made 
it  necessary  for  him  to  give  up  his  school,  and 
as*  Mr.  Scott  had  proved  himself  to  be  admirably 
qualified  for  the  position,  the  entire  management  of 
it  fell  into  his  hands.  The  superior  advantages  in 
point  of  education  which  he  had  enjoyed,  and  a  nat- 
ural aptitude  for  imparting  instruction,  made  up  for 
his  lack  of  experience  ;  and  in  addition  to  these  he 
possessed  the  rare  faculty  of  so  attaching  his  pupils 
to  himself  that  he  soon  was  regarded  by  them  as  a 
warm,  personal  friend  ;  and  the  result  was  that  the 
prosperity  of  the  school  was  increased  by  the  change. 
His  method  of  teaching  was  original,  his  manners 
pleasing  ;  politeness  and  morality  were  marked  feat- 
ures in  his  school,  and  as  the  necessary  result  he  be- 
came daily  better  known  and  appreciated  ;  his  labors 
were  well  remunerated,  and  had  success  in  his  career 
as  a  teacher  been  his  great  object  he  might  have 
been  satisfied. 

But  few  things,  however,  were  less  in  his  esteem 

than    worldly   prosperity  ;    the   more   he  studied   his 

Bible  the  greater  became  his  concern  for  the  spirit- 

.ual  welfare  of  his  fellow-men  ;  and  as  he  himself  ob- 

4 


42  LIFE  OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCOTT. 

tained  broader  and  clearer  views  of  the  plan  of  re- 
demption, his  desire  for  wider  usefulness  increased. 
The  admirable  powers  of  analysis  and  classification 
which  he  had  hitherto  applied  to  the  sciences  and 
languages,  he  now  began  to  apply  to  the  Holy  Script- 
ures, and  with  such  happy  results  that  at  times  he 
felt  a  joy  akin  to  that  of  the  ancient  philosopher,  who, 
when  a  great  scientific  ^discovery  flashed  upon  his 
mind,  cried  out  in  his  ecstasy,  ''Eureka!  Eureka!  I 
have  found  it !   I  have  found  it !" 

It  is  not  intended  by  this  to  claim  that  Mr.  Scott 
discovered  any  new  truths  ;  that  in  the  nature  of  the 
case  was  impossible ;  but  he  discovered  relations 
which  the  truths  of  revelation  bore  to  each  other  that 
had  for  a  long  time,  in  a  great  measure,  been  lost 
sight  of,  and  in  consequence  of  which  confusion  and 
darkness  had  usurped  the  place  of  order  and  light. 
He  observed  that  the  advocates  of  religious  systems, 
as  opposite  as  Calvinism  and  ArjQiinianism,  claimed 
that  their  respective  views  were  taught  in  the  word 
of  God — both  claiming  to  be  right  and  each  asserting 
that  the  other  was  wrong ;  but  to  his  mind  the 
thought  that  the  inspired  volume  taught  views  so 
contradictory  was  most  abhorrent.  In  nature  he  saw 
order  and  harmony  and  an  invariable  relation  between 
cause  and  effect,  and  he  concluded  it  could  not  be 
otherwise  in  the  plan  for  the  recovery  of  our  lost 
race.  In  the  word  of  God  he  found  precepts,  duties, 
ordinances,  promises,  blessings,  and  between  these -a 
proper  relation  and  dependence  ;  that  the  duties,  in 
the  nature  of  things,  could  not  precede  the  precept, 
or  the  blessing  the  promise,  or  the  ordinance  the 
commandment  by  which  it  was  enjoined.     Nothing,- 


HIS  SCRIPTURAL  DISCOVERIES.  43 

to  his  mind,  seemed  more  reasonable  than  that  pre- 
cepts should  set  forth  what  duties  must  be  performed, 
what  ordinances  obeyed  ;  that  promises  should  serve 
as  a  motive  to  obedience ;  that  blessings  should 
follow  the  doing  of  that  which  precept  made  known 
as  duty,  to  which  promise  was  the  encouragement 
and  blessing  the  reward. 

This  order  he  found  had  been  lost  sight  of  to  a 
greater  or  less  degree  by  the  various  religious  parties, 
by  some  of  them  to  the  absurd  extent  of  placing  an 
ordinance  first,  before  the  subject  could  possibly  have 
any  knowledge  of  the  precept  by  which  it  was  en- 
joined, or  capable  of  the  preparation  necessary  to 
make  submission  to  the  ordinance  an  act  of  obedience, 
and,  of  course,  before  the  blessings  connected  with  it 
could  be  recognized  or  enjoyed.  In  the  Scriptures 
he  found  a  profession  of  faith  preceding  baptism,  but 
in  the  practice  of  his  times  the  baptism  preceded  the 
profession  of  faith  by  many  years,  and  in  numberless 
cases  the  profession  of  faith  never  followed  the  ordi- 
nance ;  but  those  who  unwittingly  were  made  the 
subjects  of  the  ordinance,  and  taught  in  after  years 
that  by  that  act  they  had  entered  into  covenant 
with  Christ  and  were  made  the  children  of  God,  fre- 
quently lived  and  died  as  regardless  of  the  claims  of 
God  upon  them  as  if  they  had  passed  their  lives  in  a 
land  where  God's  word  had  never  been  known.  That 
faith  should  precede  obedience  seemed  as  clear  to  his 
mind  as  that  a  cause  should  precede  an  effect  ;  but 
much  in  the  religion  of  the  times  he  found  to  be  as 
unphilosophical  as  it  was  unscriptural.  If  the  gospel 
were  not  a  variable  and  changeful  thing,  he  drew  the 
conclusion  that  its  various    parts  or  elements  must 


44  Z//^ii    OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCOTT. 

bear  a  fixed  and  definite  relation  to  each  other,  in 
order  to  produce  a  uniform  result,  just  as  the  letters 
which  compose  a  certain  word  must  occupy  a  certain 
relation  to  each  other  in  order  to  form  that  word  ;  or, 
as  he  frequently  instanced  in  after  life,  in  the  word 
gospel  no  other  arrangement  of  the  letters  would  give 
the  word  ;  and  so  he  argued  in  the  plan  of  salvation, 
only  one  fixed  and  definite  arrangement  of  its  facts, 
precepts,  duties,  ordinances,  promises,  and  blessings 
was  allowable  ;  that  the  derangement  of  the  order 
would  be  the  destruction  of  the  plan,  just  as  the  change 
in  the  relative  position  of  a  single  letter  in  the  word 
gospel  would  give,  not  merely  another  word,  but  one 
without  any  significance  whatever.  In  pursuing  his 
investigations  he  was  cheered  and  strengthened  in 
his  views  by  their  harmony  with  the  Scriptures,  and 
this  could  scarcely  fail  to  be  the  case  since  they  were 
but  inductions  from  the  word  of  God  after  long,  care- 
ful, and  prayerful  reading. 

The  conversion  of  a  sinner  to  God  had  long  been  a 
subject  that  perplexed  him,  on  account  of  the  mys- 
tery thrown  around  it  by  theological  writers  ;  but 
when  he  read  the  accounts  given  in  the  Acts,  of  the 
course  pursued  by  the  apostles  in  turning  men  to 
God,  he  found  that  all  mystery  fled  ;  that  those  who 
heard,  believed,  and  obeyed  the  glad  message,  which 
it  was  their  mission  to  make  known,  were  filled  with 
joy  and  peace  in  believing.  His  noble  and  candid 
nature,  and  his  profound  regard  for  the  truth,  led  him 
to  examine  carefully  all  the  common  or  orthodox 
views  in  which  he  had  been  brought  up,  and  which 
he  had  long  entertained  without  a  doubt  as  to  their 
correctness  ;    from   these   he    eliminated    to   be   held 


DEATH  OF  MR.  FORRESTER.  45 

sacred  all  that  was  clearly  taught  in  the  unerring 
word,  and  rejected  all  he  had  heretofore  cherished  for 
which  he  could  find  no  divine  warrant.  Clearness  of 
vision,  ability  to  separate  the  true  from  the  false,  does 
not  come  in  a  moment  ;  the  influence  of  early  habits 
and  associates ;  the  instructions  he  had  received 
without  question  in  his  early  years  ;  his  course  of 
reading  and  study  when  looking  forward  to  the  min- 
istry of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  with  the  strong 
convictions  of  a  deeply  religious  nature,  which  ren- 
dered him  sincere  even  when  in  error,  made  the 
change  of  necessity  a  very  gradual  one.  But  he  had 
discovered  the  true  path  ;  his  Bible  he  felt  must  be 
a  safe  guide  ;  and  though  much  of  that  path  had  yet 
to  be  explored,  every  step  brought  deeper  conviction 
and  a  serener  joy. 

In  the  meantime,  his  intimacy  with  Mr.  Forrester, 
his  religious  friend  and  guide,  continued  to  be  of  the 
most  pleasant  and  endearing  nature  ;  and  the  little 
congregation  under  his  care,  which  met  in  the  court- 
house, were  his  most  valued  associates.  With  the 
former  he  was  accustomed  to  walk  to  the  place  of 
worship  in  company,  and  then  to  sit  meekly  at  his 
feet  as  he  expounded  the  word  of  God  ;  and  with  the 
latter  to  engage  in  the  service  of  God  as  brethren  be- 
loved. But  a  sad  and  unexpected  change  came.  Mr. 
Forrester  was  drowned  while  bathing  in  the  Alle- 
gheny river,  and  Mr.  Scott  was  deprived  of  his  dear- 
est friend  and  the  little  flock  of  its  beloved  and  faith- 
ful shepherd.  This  calamity  brought  upon  him  new 
duties  and  responsibilities  :  to  comfort  and  assist  the 
widow  and  orphans  of  his  lost  friend,  and  to  care  as 
best  he  could  for  the  spiritual  welfare  of  the  stricken 


46  LIFE  OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCOTT. 

and  bereaved  church.  To  these  duties  he  addressed 
himself  manfully  ;  the  boy  who  sung  at  midnight  in 
the  streets  of  Edinburgh  to  help  an  unknown  blind 
beggar,  now  that  he  was  a  man,  could  not  be  wanting 
in  sympatiiy  and  helpfulness  to  the  widow  and  or- 
phans of  one  that  he  had,  while  living,  so  esteemed 
and  revered  ;  and  the  wants  of  the  church  soon  called 
into  activity  those  gifts  for, teaching  and  preaching 
for  which  he  afterwards  became  so  distinguished. 

He  now  began  to  feel  more  deeply  than  ever  that 
there  were  thousands  as  sincere*  and  earnest  as  him- 
self who  were  yet  under  the  bondage  of  the  system 
from  which  he  had  been  emancipated,  and  he  desired 
that  they  should,  like  him,  enjoy  the  freedom  those 
enjoy  whom  the  truth  makes  free.  Under  the  press- 
ure of  such  thoughts  the  duties  of  the  school-room 
became  burdensome.  What  was  the  enlightening 
of  the  minds  of  a  few  youth,  and  leading  them  up  the 
difficult  yet  pleasant  steeps  of  literature  and  science, 
compared  with  the  work  of  rescuing  humble,  earnest 
souls  from  the  spiritual  darkness  in  which  they  were 
groping,  and  of  turning  sinners  from  Satan  to  God. 

At  this  juncture  a  pamphlet  fell  into  his  hands, 
which  had  been  put  into  circulation  by  a  small  congre- 
gation in  the  city  of  New  York,  and  which  had  much 
to  do  with  deciding  the  course  he  should  pursue. 
The  church  alluded  to  was  composed  mainly  of  Scotch 
Baptists,  and  held  many  of  the  views  taught  by  the 
Haldanes,  and  were,  in  many  respects,  far  in  advance 
ot  the  other  religious  bodies.  The  pamphlet  men- 
tioned was  published  by  this  congregation  in  1820, 
and  was  intended  to  set  forth  the  views  which  they 
entertained.     The  publication  was  quite  a  remarkable 


AN  IMPOR TANT  DOCUMENT.  4/ 

one  for  the  times,  as  it  set  forthj  with  admirable  sim- 
plicity and  clearness,  the  teaching  of  the  Scripture  with 
regard  to  the  design  of  baptism,  which  had  been  almost 
entirely  lost  sight  of,  and  the  practical  value  of  which 
even  its  authors  did  not  seem  to  realize.  The  careful 
reader  will  find  in  it  the  germs  of  what  was  years  after- 
wards insisted  upon  by  Scott  in  his  plea  for  baptism  for 
the  remission  of  sins,  and  also  by  Alexander  Campbell 
in  his  celebrated  Extra  on  Remission.  The  same  pro- 
duction fell  into  the  hands  of  A.  Campbell  soon  after 
it  had  been  read  by  Scott  ;  but  while  both  these,  and, 
stranger  still,  the  very  authors  of  it,  recognized  the 
matters  therein  set  forth  as  true,  they  saw  them  as 
the  man  whom  Jesus  healed  of  blindness  at  first  saw 
the  passers  by — men  as  trees  walking.  But  they  saw 
they  were  true,  nevertheless,  even  if  they  saw  them 
but  dimly.  They  had  heretofore  been  wholly  blind 
to  them,  and  it  was  long  before  they  appeared  to  their 
spiritual  vision  in  all  their  significance  and  beauty. 
A  few  extracts  from  the  work  will  here  not  be  out 

of  place. 

ON  BAPTISM. 

"  It  is  not  intended,  in  this  article,  to  discuss  the  import 
of  the  term  baptism,  as  that  term  is  well  known  to  mean,  in 
the  New  Testament,  when  used  literally,  nothing  else  than 
if?imersion  in  water.  But  the  intention  is,  fo  ascertain  what 
this  immersion  signifies,  and  what  are  the  uses  and  purposes 
for  which  it  was  appointed.  This  can  only  be  done  by  ob- 
serving what  is  said  concerning  it  in  the  Holy  Scriptures. 

"One  of  the  first  things  that  strike  our  attention  in  this 
inquiry,  is,  that  the  Lord  Jesus  entered  upon  his  ministry 
by  baptism,  as  he  arose  out  of  the  water,  that  he  was  first 
publicly  acknowledged  as  the  Son  of  God.  Matt.  iii.  15,  17. 
This  is  very  remarkable,  and  should  be  well  remembered. 


48  LIFE  OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCOTT. 

*' The  baptism  of  John  is  spoken  of  thus:  'John  did 
baptize  in  the  wilderness,  and  preach  the  baptism  of  re- 
pentance, for  the  7'emission  of  sins.''  And  of  those  who 
came  to  his  baptism,  it  is  said,  they  '  were  all  baptized  of 
him    in    the   river   Jordan,    confessing   their  sins.'    Mark 

i.  4,  5- 

''John  himself  seems  to  connect  this  baptism  with  an 
escape  from  the  divine  wrath  ;  for  'when  he  saw  many  of 
the  Pharisees  and  Sadducees  come  to  his  baptism,  he  said 
mito  them,  O  generation  of  vipers,  who  hath  warned  you 
Xo  fiee from  the  wrath  to  come?''     Matt.  iii.  7. 

"  The  Lord  Jesus,  discoursing  with  Nicodemus  respect- 
ing the  nature  of  his  kingdom,  and  giving  him  to  under- 
stand that  no  Jew  would  be  taken  into  it  in  virtue  of  his 
having  been  born  a  descendant  of  Abraham,  observed, 
that,  '  except  a  man  be  born  of  water,  and  of  the  Spirit, 
he  can  not  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  God.'     John  iii.  5. 

"  In  the  account  given  by  Mark  of  the  gracious  message 
delivered  to  the  apostles,  and  to  be  by  them  conveyed  to 
all  nations,  it  would  seem,  at  first  view,  as  if  baptism  was 
connected  with  salvation  ;  '  He  that  believeth  and  is  bap- 
tized ^h^W  be  saved.'     Mark  xvi.  16. 

"  To  the  same  effect  was  baptism  spoken  of  in  the  dis- 
course of  the  apostle  Peter  to  the  Jews  on  the  day  of  Pen- 
tecost. He  seems  to  have  viewed  it  as  connected  with 
the  forgiveness  of  sins.  'Repent,'  said  he,  'and  be  bap- 
tized, every  oi\e  of  you  in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ  for 
the  remission  of  sins.  ^     Acts  ii.  38. 

"  Paul,  relating  to  the  Jews  how  he  had  been  brought 
to  confess  the  Lord  Jesus,  and  speaking  of  what  had  occurred 
after  he  went  into  Damascus,  described  Ananias  as  coming 
into  his  lodging,  and,  among  other  things,  saying  to  him, 
'And  now  why  tarriest  thou?  arise  and  be  baptized,  and 
wash  away  thy  sins,  calling  on  the  name  of  the  Lord.' 
Acts  xxii.  16. 


A.V  IMPORTANT  DOCUMENT.  49 

"  The  same  apostle,  writing  to  the  church  at  Rome, 
and  pointing  out  the  efficacy  of  the  doctrine  of  Christ, 
and  the  powerful  motives  which  that  doctrine  furnished, 
for  enabling  the  believers  of  it  to  walk  in  holiness  and 
righteousness  of  life,  speaks  of  baptism  in  the  following 
manner :  *  Know  ye  not  that  so  many  of  us  as  were  bap- 
tized into  Jesus  Christ,  were  baptized  into  his  death  ? 
Therefore  we  are  buried  with  Jiim  by  baptisjn  into  death; 
that,  like  as  Christ  was  raised  vp  from  the  dead  by  the 
glory  of  the  Father,  even  so  we  also  should  walk  in  new- 
ness of  life.  For  if  we  have  been  planted  together  in  the 
likeness  of  his  death,  we  shall  also  be  in  the  likeness  of 
his  resurrection  :  knowing  this,  that  our  old  man  is  cruci- 
fied with  him,  that  the  body  of  sin  might  be  destroyed,  that 
henceforth  we  should  not  serve  sin.  For  he  that  is  dead 
is  freed  from  sin.  Now  if  we  be  dead  with  Christ,  we 
believe  that  we  shall  also  live  with  him ;  knowing  that 
Christ,  being  raised  from  the  dead,  dieth  no  more  ;  death 
hath  no  more  dominion  over  him.  For  in  that  he  died, 
he  died  unto  sin  once  ;  but  in  that  he  liveth,  he  liveth 
unto  God.  Likewise  reckon  ye  also  yourselves  to  be  dead 
indeed  unto  sin,  but  alive  Jinto  God,  through  Jesus  Christ 
our  Lord.'     Rom.  vi,  2-1 1. 

*'  In  the  epistle  to  the  churches  of  Galatia,  the  apostle, 
showing  that  men  become  sons  of  God,  not  by  adhering  to 
the  law  of  Moses,  but  by  the  faith  of  Christ,  drops  the 
following  remarks:  'For  ye  are  all  the  children  of  God 
by  faith  in  Christ  Jesus.  For  as  many  of  you  as  have 
been  baptized  into  Christ  have  put  on  Christ.  There  is 
neither  Jew  nor  Greek,  there  is  neither  bond  nor  free, 
there  is  neither  male  nor  female;  for  ye  are  all  one  in 
Christ  Jesus.'     Gal.  iii.  26-28. 

''  In  some  of  the  exhortations  addressed  to  the  church 
at  Ephesus,  we  observe  an  allusion  to  baptism  too  striking 
to  be  passed  over :  '  Husbands,  love  your  own  wives,  even 
5 


50  LIFE  OF  ELDER    WALTER  SCOTT. 

as  Christ  also  loved  the  church,  and  gave  himself  for  her ; 
that  he  might  sanctify  her,  Jiavitig  cleansed  her  with  a  bath 
of  ivatcr  and  with  the  word  ;  that  he  might  present  her  to 
himself,  glorious,  a  church  not  having  a  spot,  or  wrinkle, 
or  any  such  thing;  but  that  she  might  be  holy,  and  with- 
out blemish.'     Eph.  v.  25,  27. 

'■'■  In  another  part  of  the  epistle  to  the  same  church,  the 
apostle,  exhorting  them  to  preserve  '  the  unity  of  the  Spirit,' 
describes  this  unity  as  follows — '■One  body  and  one  Spirit 
even  as  ye  are  called  in  (^//^^//^/^of  your  calling — one  Lord, 
one  faith,  one  baptism,  one  God  and  Father  of  all,  who 
is  above  you  all,  and  through  all,  and  in  you  all.'  Eph. 
iv.  4,  6.  When  we  see  a  place  so  exalted  as  this  assigned 
to  baptism,  we  may  infer  that  baptism  is  a  matter  of  no 
inconsiderable  moment. 

''The  same  apostle,  warning  the  church  at  Colosse 
against  the  crafty  ways  of  Judaizing  teachers,  and  assur- 
ing them  of  the  perfection  of  knowledge  and  of  righteous- 
ness which  they  had  by  Christ  Jesus,  reminds  the  brethren 
of  their  baptism  in  the  following  manner — '  Being  buried 
with  him  in  baptism,  in  which  also  ye  have  beeji  raised  with 
him,  through  the  belief  of  the  strong  working  of  God,  who 
raised  him  from  the  dead.  For  you  who  were  dead  on  ac- 
count of  trespasses  and  the  uncircumcision  of  your  flesh, 
he  hath  made  alive  together  with  him,  having  forgiven  us 
all  trespasses,'  etc.     Col.  ii.  12,  13. 

"  In  the  epistle  of  Titus,  there  seems  to  be  an  allusion 
to  baptism,  which  deserves  particular  notice.  The  apostle 
desiring  Titus  to  inculcate  obedience  to  magistrates,  and 
other  excellent  duties,  says,  '  For  even  we  ourselves  were 
formerly  foolish,  disobedient,  erring,  slavishly  serving  di- 
vers inordinate  desires  and  pleasures,  living  in  malice  and 
envy,  hated  and  hating  one  another.  But  when  the  good- 
ness and  the  philanthropy  of  God  our  Savior  shone  forth, 
he  saved-  us,  not  on  account  of  works  of  righteousness 
which  we  had  done,  but  according  to  his  own  mercy,  through 


ON    BAPTISM. 


51 


the  bath  of  7'egeneration  and  tlie  renewing  of  the  Holy 
Ghost,  which  he  poured  out  on  us  richly,  through  Jesus 
Christ  our  Savior.'     Titus  iii.   3,  6. 

'*  One  other  passage  shall  be  noticed,  where  baptism  is 
introduced  and  spoken  of,  by  the  apostle  Peter,  as  the 
antitype  of  the  water  of  the  flood,  whereby  Noah  and  his 
family  escaped  death.  *  To  which  water,'  saith  he,  'the 
antitype  baptism  (not  the  putting  away  the  filth  of  the 
flesh,  but  the  answer  of  a  good  conscience  toward  God), 
nowsavethus  also,  through  the  resurrection  of  Jesus  Christ.* 
I  Pet.  iii.  21. 

"  From  these  several  passages  we  may  learn  how  baptism 
was  viewed  in  the  beginning  by  those  who  were  qualified 
to  understand  its  meaning  best.  No  one  who  has  been  in 
the  habit  of  considering  it  merely  as  an  orduiance,  can 
read  these  passages  with  attention,  without  being  surprised 
at  the  wonderful  powers,  and  qualities,  and  effects,  and 
uses,  which  are  there  apparently  ascribed  to  it.  If  the 
language  employed  respecting  it,  in  many  of  the  passages, 
were  to  be  taken  literally,  it  would  import,  that  I'emissioii 
of  sins  is  to  be  obtained  by  baptism,  that  an  escape  from 
the  wrath  to  come  is  effected  in  baptism ;  that  7nen  are  born 
the  children  of  God  hy  baptism  ;  that  salvation  is  connected 
with  baptism  ;  that  men  ivash  away  their  sins  by  baptism; 
that  men  become  dead  to  sin  and  alive  to  God,  by  baptism  ; 
that  the  Church  of  God  is  sanctified  and  cleansed  by  bap- 
tism ;  that  men  are  regenerated  by  baptism  ;  and  that  the 
answer  of  a  good  conscience  is  obtained  by  baptism.  All 
these  things,  if  all  the  passages  before  us  were  construed 
literally,  would  be  ascribed  to  baptism.  And  it  was  a  lit- 
eral construction  of  these  passages  which  led  professed 
Christians,  in  the  early  ages,  to  believe  that  baptism  was 
necessary  to  salvation.  Hence  arose  infa7it  baptism,  and 
other  customs  equally  unauthorized.  And,  from  a  like  lit- 
eral construction  of  the  words  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  at  the 
last  supper,  arose  the  awful  notion  of  transubstantiation. 


5. 


LIFE  OF  ELDER   WAL.TEK  SCOTT. 


"  But,  however,  such  men  may  have  erred  in  fixing  a  lit- 
eral import  upon  these  passages ;  still  the  very  circumstance 
of  their  doing  so,  and  the  fact  that  the  meaning  which 
they  imputed  is  the  literal  meaning,  all  go  to  show  that 
baptism  was  appointed  for  ends  and  purposes  far  more  im- 
portant than  those  who  think  of  it  on/y  as  an  oi'dinance, 
yet  have  seen. 

*'  It  is  for  the  churches  of  God,  therefore,  to  consider  well, 
whether  it  does  not  clearly  and  forcibly  appear  from  what 
is  said  of  baptism  in  the  passages  before  us,  taken  each  in 
its  proper  connection,  that  this  baptism  was  appointed  as 
an  institution  strikingly  significant  of  several  of  the  most 
important  things  relating  to  the  kingdom  of  God  ;  whether 
it  was  not  in  baptism  that  men  professed,  by  deed,  as 
they  had  already  done  by  word,  to  have  the  remission  of 
sins  through  the  death  of  Jesus  Christ,  and  to  have  a  firm 
persuasion  of  being  raised  from  the  dead  through  him, 
and  after  his  example;  whether  it  was  not  in  baptism  that 
they//^/^^the  ungodly  character  and  its  lusts,  and  put  on  the 
new  life  of  righteousness  in  Christ  Jesus;  whether  it  was  not 
in  baptism  that  they  professed  to  have  their  sins  washed  away, 
through  the  blood  of  the  Lord  and  Savior ;  whether  it  was  not 
in  baptism  that  they  professed  to  be  born  from  above,  and 
thereby  fitted  for  an  entrance  into  the  kmgdom  of  God, 
that  is,  the  church  of  God  here  on  earth  ;  whether  it  was 
not  in  baptism,  that  they  professed  to  be  purified  and 
cleansed  from  their  defilement,  and  sanctified  and  separa- 
ted to  the  service  of  God ;  whether  it  was  not  in  baptism 
that  they  passed,  as  it  were,  out  of  one  state  into  another; 
out  of  the  kingdom  of  darkness  into  the  kingdom  of  God's 
Son;  whether  if  any  were  ever  known  or  recognized  as 
having  put  on  Christ;,  who  had  not  thus  been  buried  with 
him  in  baptism  ;  whether,  in  fact,  baptism  was  not  a  promi- 
nent part  of  the  Christian  profession,  or,  in  other  words, 
that  by  which,  in  part,  the  Christian  profession  was  made; 


HE   VISITS  NEW  YORK.  t-i 

and  whether  this   one  baptism   was   not  essential  to   the 
keeping  of  the  unity  of  the  Spirit. 

''And  if,  on  reflection,  it  should  appear  that  these  uses 
and  purposes  appertain  to  the  one  baptism,  then  it  should 
be  considered  how  far  any  can  now  be  known,  or  recognized, 
or  acknowledged  as  Disciples,  as  having  made  the  Christian 
profession,  as  having  put  on  Christ,  as  having  passed  from 
death  to  life,  who  have  not  been  baptized  as  the  Disciples 


After  such  a  clear  expression  with  regard  to  the 
matter  in  hand,  it  is  difficult  to  imagine  of  how  little 
practical  value  those  views  then  were.  We  know  of 
no  more  strongly  marked  instance  of  theory  outrun- 
ning practice ;  the  reason,  doubtless,  is  to  be  found 
in  the  fact  that  nearly  the  entire  religious  world  had 
lost  sight  of  both  primitive  teaching  and  practice  in 
this  matter  ;  and  those  whose  attention  had  been 
called  to  those  long-neglected  truths  were  not  able  to 
regard  them  as  practical  in  the  face  of  almost  univ^er- 
sal  custom  to  the  contrary. 

The  reading  of  this  tract  had  much  to  do  with  the 
subsequent  course  of  Mr.  Scott  ;  he  thought  that  a 
visit  to  the  people  holding  the  views  which  it  set 
forth  would  add  greatly  to  his  Christian  knowledge, 
and  at  the  same  time  give  him  a  favorable  opportu- 
nity for  making  known  the  views  which  he  had 
adopted,  and  for  the  spread  of  which  he  had  such  an 
anxious  desire.  Dismissing,  therefore,  all  thoughts 
of  personal  interest,  and  considerations  of  gain,  he 
abruptly  brought  his  school  to  a  close,  and  set  out 
for  New  York,  to  engage  in  labors  and  studies 
which  he  deemed  more  important,  and,  therefore,  more 
congenial.     The  result  of  his  visit,  however,  was  a 


54  LIFE  OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCOTT. 

sad  disappointment  ;  he  found,  the  practice  of  the 
church  far  in  the  rear  of  what  he  had  been  led  to  ex- 
pect from  the  pubhcation  which  had  led  him  to  seek 
a  more  intimate  acquaintance  ;  nor  did  there  seem  to 
be  any  disposition  on  their  part  to  fall  in  with  his 
views,  which  began  to  look  in  the  direction  of  a  radi- 
cal reform. 

He  remained  there  but  three  months,  long  enough, 
however,  to  discover  that  the  simple  and  self-evident 
truths  of  Christianity,  which  he  fondly  hoped  would 
be  accepted  as  soon  as  made  known,  were  not  to 
achieve  the  triumph  he  had  anticipated.  His  hopes 
had  seemed  reasonable  ;  he  had  only  the  word  of  God 
in  all  its  primitive  simplicity  to  present  ;  he  had  in- 
vented no  new  creed,  advocated  nothing  that  the 
Bible  did  not  sanction  ;  he  had  sacrificed  as  much  in 
his  abandonment  of  sectarianism  as  he  asked  at  the 
hands  of  others  ;  he  felt  that  the  happiness  of  all  pro- 
fessors of  religion  would  be  enhanced  by  laying  aside 
every  thing  that  savored  of  party ;  that  the  cause  of 
Christ  would  be  immensely  benefited  by  the  healing 
of  all  unseemly  divisions  ;  and  to  find  such  an  un- 
willingness to  enter  on  a  course  that  promised  so 
much  happiness  to  man  and  glory  to  God  filled  him 
with  sorrow  and  despondency. 

In  the  meantime,  his  loss  was  deeply  felt  in  Pitts- 
burg ;  the  patrons  of  his  school  found  that  his  place 
as  a  teacher  could  not  be  filled,  and  a  vigorous 
effort  was  made  to  induce  him  to  return.  Mr.  Rich- 
ardson, whose  son  Robert  had  been  one  of  Mr. 
Scott's  most  promising  and  affectionate  pupils,  pro- 
posed the  engagement  of  Mr.  Scott  as  a  private 
tutor   for   his  own  and  a  few  other  families.      This 


HIS   DESPOXDENCY.  55 

plan  met  with  warm  approval,  and  a  handsome  salary 
was  pledged.  Mr.  Richardson  made  the  proposal  to 
Mr.  Scott,  who  was  still  in  New  York,  and  earnestly 
urged  his  acceptance.  The  interest  manifested  in 
him  at  a  time  when  suffering  under  keen  disappoint- 
ment caused  him  to  regard  the  offer  favorably,  al- 
though he  did  not  positively  accept  it.  He  left  New 
York,  however,  and  visited  Paterson,  New  Jersey,  and 
found  there  a  few  professors  of  religion  in  a  disor- 
ganized condition,  but  nothing  to  encourage  him  to 
labor  amohg  them.  From  thence  he  proceeded  to 
Baltimore,  and  found  a  small  church  in  a  very  low 
condition,  but  kept  alive  by  brethren  Carman  and 
Ferguson.  Then  learning  that  there  was  a  small 
body  of  worshipers  in  Washington  City,  to  whom  he 
might  possibly  be  of  some  advantage,  he  says  :  '*  I 
went  thither,  and  having  searched  them  up  I  discovered 
them  to  be  so  sunken  in  the  mire  of  Calvinism,  that 
they  refused  to  reform  ;  and  so  finding  no  pleasure  in 
them  I  left  them,  I  then  went  to  the  Capitol,  and, 
climbing  up  to  the  top  of  its  lofty  dome,  I  sat  myself 
down,  filled  with  sorrow  at  the  miserable  desolation 
of  the  Church  of  God." 


56  LIFE  OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCOTT. 


CHAPTER    III. 

Returns     to     Pittsburg  —  And    resumes    teaching  —  Sketch    of    Pittiburg 
Church — Meets  with  Alexander  Campbell  and  his  father. 

IN  this  spirit  of  dejection  he  continued  his  travels 
on  foot  to  Pittsburg,  a  distance  of  nearly  three 
hundred  miles,  and  reached  there  weary  and  travel- 
worn  ;  but  the  warmth  of  his  welcome  on  his  arrival 
did  much  toward  dispelling  the  gloom  with  which  his 
late  disappointments  had  filled  his  mind.  He  made 
his  home  in  the  family  of  Mr.  Richardson,  who  was 
mainly  instrumental  in  inducing  him  to  return,  who 
fitted  up  a  room  in  his  own  house  for  the' accommo- 
dation of  the  few  pupils  to  which  his  school  was  re- 
stricted ;  and  he  devoted  himself  with  such  zeal  and 
success  to  the  advancement  of  his  pupils  that  he 
gained  a  reputation  such  as  no  other  teacher  in  that 
city  had  ever  enjoyed.  His  pupils  were  regarded 
in  the  light  of  younger  companions  and  friends,  and 
while  he  led  them  in  the  various  pathways  of  science 
and  literature,  he  strove  at  the  same  time  to  mould 
their  manners  and  improve  their  hearts.  He  pos- 
sessed great  tact  and  an  almost  intuitive  perception 
of  character,  which  enabled  him  to  adapt  himself  to 
the  different  dispositions  and  capabilities  of  his  pu- 
pils, and  to  make  study  more  of  a  pleasure  than  a 
task.  His  rules  were  few  and  might  be  summed  up 
in  the  words  obedience,  order,  accuracy ;  and  the  re- 


A   PUPILS   TRIBUTE.  5/ 

suit  in  after  years  was,  that  some  of  his  pupils  ranked 
among  the  finest  scholars  and  most  useful  men  in  the 
State.  Among  them  were  Chief  Justice  Lowrey  and' 
the  eminent  author  and  professor,  Dr.  Richardson, 
who,  in  his  biography  of  Alexander  Campbell,  nearly 
a  half  a  century  after,  thus  writes  of  his  beloved 
teacher  and  friend  : 

*'I  would  sometimes  invite  him  to  walk  out  of  an  even- 
ing to  my  father's  garden  in  the  vicinity  of  the  city;  but 
his  mind  could  not  be  divorced,  even  amid  such  recrea- 
tions, from  the  high  theme  which  occupied  it.  Nature,  in 
all  its  forms,  seemed  to  speak  to  him  only  of  its  Creator ; 
and  although  gentle  and  affectionate  as  he  was,  he  sought 
ever  to  interest  himself  in  the  things  that  interested  others. 
His  mind  would  constantly  revert  to  its  ruling  thought; 
and  some  incident  in  our  ramble,  some  casual  remark  in 
our  conversation,  would  at  once  open  up  the  fountain  of 
religious  thought,  which  seemed  to  be  ever  seeking  for  an 
outlet.  Thus,  for  instance,  if  I  would  present  him  with  a 
rose,  while  he  admired  its  tints  and  inhaled  its  fragrance, 
he  would  ask,  in  a  tone  of  deep  feeling,  '  Do  you  know, 
my  dear,  why  in  the  Scriptures  Christ  is  called  the  Rose  of 
Sharon  ?'  If  the  answer  was  not  ready,  he  would  reply  • 
himself:  'It  is  because  the  rose  of  Sharon  has  no  thorns;' 
and  would  then  go  on  to  make  a  few  touching  remarks  on 
the  beautiful  traits  in  the  character  of  the  Savior.  Then, 
in  the  exercise  of  his  powers  of  accurate  perception  and 
his  love  of  analysis  and  object-teaching,  descanting  on  the 
special  characteristics  of  the  flower,  and  calling  attention 
to  the  various  elements  which,  by  their  assemblage,  pro- 
duced such  a  charming  result — the  graceful,  curving  lines 
that  bounded  the  petals  and  the  foliage,  so  much  more 
beautiful  than  the  straight  and  parallel  edges  of  the  blades 
of  grass  or  maize ;  the  winding  veinlets,  the  delicate  shad- 


58  LIFE  OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCOTT. 

ings  of  carmine,  and  their  contrast  with  the  green  foliage; 
the  graceful  attitude  assumed  by  the  flower,  as,  poising 
itself  upon  its  stem,  armed  with  thorns,  it  shone  resplen- 
dent in  queenly  beauty ;  he  would  pass,  by  a  natural  and 
easy  transition,  to  dwell  yet  again  upon  the  infinite  power 
and  glorious  perfections  of  the  Creator — the  Lord  that 
'was  God,'  that  'was  in  the  beginning  with  God,'  and 
without  whom  nothing  was  made  that  was  made.  Nor 
did  he  neglect,  even  amidst  the  daily  duties  of  the  school- 
room, to  lead  the  minds  of  his  pupils  to  similar  contem- 
plations, so  that  they  might  be  induced  to  '  look  through 
nature  up  to  nature's  God.'  The  revelations  of  God  in 
the  Bible,  however,  formed  his  chief  delight,  and,  in  ac- 
cordance with  his  feelings,  he  took  especial  pains  to  famil- 
iarize the  students  of  the  ancient  tongues  with  the  Greek 
of  the  New  Testament,  for  which  purpose  he  caused  them 
to  commit  it  largely  to  memory,  so  that  some  of  them 
could  repeat,  chapter  by  chapter,  the  whole  of  the  four 
gospels  of  Matthew,  Mark,  Luke,  and  John  in  the  Greek 
language.  It  was  also  his  invariable  practice  to  require 
memorized  recitations  of  portions  of  the  ancient  classic 
authors,  as  well  as  written  translations  of  them.  These 
tasks,  irksome  to  those  of  feeble  memory,  and  exacted, 
perhaps,  in  some  cases,  with  too  much  rigor,  tended,  nev- 
ertheless, to  improve  the  pupils  in  taste  and  accuracy, 
and  to  store  their  minds  with  charming  passages  for  use 
in  future  life." 

His  return  to  Pittsburg  was  highly  gratifying  to 
the  little  flock  that  had  been  gathered  by  the  labors 
of  the  lamented  Forrester,  whose  place,  in  a  measure, 
they  hoped  this  promising  young  convert  would  sup- 
ply. The  members  of  this  church,  in  which  he  was 
afterwards  to  act  so  distinguished  a  part,  were  all 
diligent  readers  and  students  of  the  Holy  Scriptures ; 


SKETCH  OF  PITTSBURG   CHURCH.  59 

and  ill  their  desire  to  conform  to  primitive  usages  in 
every  respect  pressed,  perhaps,  too  far  some  matters 
which  had  their  origin  in  the  social  life  of  apostolic 
times,  the  spirit  of  which  can  be  manifested  by  differ- 
ent acts  in  our  own  day.  They  read,  for  instance,  the 
apostolic  injunction  "salute  one  another  with  a  holy 
kiss,"  and  they  carried  it  out  in  practice,  and  in  con- 
sequence came  to  be  known  in  the  community  as  the 
"  Kissing  Baptists  ;"  but  while  it  was  true  that  such 
was  the  practice  of  the  primitive  church,  they  did  not 
take  into  account  the  fact  that  it  was  not  enjoined  on 
the  church  as  a  custom  to  be  practiced  for  the  first 
time,  but  that  it  was  the  usual  mode  of  salutation 
among  the  orientals,  and  only  gave  a  higher  signifi- 
cance to  an  established  custom,  just  as  the  shaking  of 
hands  now,  our  common  mode  of  greeting,  becomes 
more  significant  when  Christians  meet  and  clasp 
hands  as  members  of  the  family  of  God.  The  washing 
of  feet  was  also  practiced  by  them,  not,  however,  as  a 
church  ordinance,  but  an  act  of  brotherly  kindness  and 
Christian  hospitality.  But  this,  as  well  as  the  former 
practice,  soon  fell  into  disuse,  doubtless  from  the  fact, 
that  to  have  insisted  upon  it  would  have  obliged 
them,  in  order  to  be  consistent,  to  have  revived  the 
use  of  sandals  and  the  style  of  dress  prevalent  in  the 
primitive  age,  which  Christianity  did  not  originate 
and  was  not  designed  to  perpetuate.  But  their  re- 
gard for  these  unimportant  matters  by  no  means  ren- 
dered them  negligent  concerning  the  weightier  mat- 
ters of  the  law :  reading  and  committing  to  memory 
the  holy  oracles  ;  bringing  up  their  families  in  the 
fear  of  God  ;  social  and  family  worship  ;  and  all  the 
sweet  charities  of  a  Christian  life  were  cultivated  in 


6o  LIFE  OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCOTT. 

that  little  church,  and  in  its  bosom  were  found  men 
and  women  as  pious,  devoted,  and  useful  for  their 
means  and  opportunities  as  the  world  has  ever  seen. 
The  Darsies,  Erretts,  McLarens,  and  many  others, 
who  have  proved  such  blessings  to  the  world,  and 
promoters  of  the  cause  of  Christ  in  the  earth,  were 
members  of  that  little  band,  and  where  the  influences 
that  were  set  on  foot  there  will  end  eternity  aloae 
will  disclose. 

The  following  incident  will  show  the  spirit  that 
prevailed  among  them — a  spirit  noble  as  it  is  rare. 
One  of  the  members  had  in  some  way  injured  and 
deeply  wounded  the  feelings  of  Mr.  Scott  and  Mrs. 
Darsie  ;  and  as  the  aggressor  showed  no  disposition 
to  repair  the  wrong  he  had  done,  Bro.  Scott  went  to 
Mrs.  Darsie,  and  said  :  "  We  have  now  an  opportu- 
nity of  praying  the  Lord's  prayer  ;  let  us  go  and  for- 
give him  who  has  trespassed  against  us  ;"  and  to- 
gether they  went,  and  assured  him  of  their  free  and 
full  forgiveness  of  the  wrong  he  had  done  them,  and 
in  such  a  kindly  spirit  did  they  perform  their  mission 
that  the  offender  burst  into  tears,  confessed  his  fault, 
and  a"  perfect  reconciliation  was  effected. 

It  was  not  long  after  Mr.  Scott's  return  from  New 
York,  in  1821,  that  his  mind  became  possessed  by 
what  proved  to  be  the  great  thought  of  his  life  ; 
namely,  that  the  great  central  idea  of  the  Christian 
religion  is  the  Messiahship ;  that  Jesus  is  the  Christ, 
the  Son  of  the  living  God  ;  a  proposition  around 
which,  in  his  esteem,  all  other  truths  revolve  'as  plan- 
ets around  the  sun.  To  prove  this  he  regarded  as 
the  great  aim  of  the  evangelists  in  the  four  Gospels, 
and  which  certainly  was  the  avowed  purpose  of  John, 


THE  ''GOLDEN  ORACLED  6 1 

for,  near  the  close  of.his  life  of  Jesus,  he  says,  in  ref- 
erence to  all  he  had  put  on  record  :  "  But  these  are 
written  that  ye  might  believe  that  Jesus  is  the  Christ, 
the  Son  of  God,  and  that  believing  ye  might  have  life 
through  his  name."     John  xx :  31. 

In  hrs  biblical  studies  he  received  great  aid  from 
some  valuable  theological  works,  which  he  found  in 
the  library  of  his  lamented  friend  Mr.  Forrester.  The 
most  noteworthy  among  these  were  the  following  : 
Benson  on  the  Epistles  ;  Macknight's  Harmony  of 
the  Gospels  ;  Knatchbull's  Notes  ;  Haldane's  works  ; 
Locke's  Reasonableness  of  Christianity  ;  Macknight 
on  the  Epistles  ;  Carson's  works,  with  those  of  Ward- 
law,  Glass,  and  Sandeman,  with  many  other  useful 
works  on  ecclesiastical  history  and  prophecy.  His 
chief  delight,  however,  as  he  himself  says,  was  in  the 
Holy  Scriptures,  a  portion  of  which  he  committed  to 
memory  daily,  and  after  the  labors  of  the  day  had 
closed  in  the  school-room.  Midnight  often  found 
him  engaged  in  the  study  of  the  sacred  volume  ;  and 
he  made  a  solemn  vow  to  God,  that  if  he,  for  Christ's 
sake,  would  grant  him  just  and  comprehensive  views 
of  his  religion  he  would  subordinate  all  his  present 
and  future  attainments  to  the  glory  of  his  Son  and 
his  religion.  Seldom  was  ever  more  solemn  promise 
made  ;  seldom  was  one  ever  better  kept  than  this  ; 
for  the  theme  which  then  took  possession  of  his 
thoughts  was  ever  uppermost,  was  ever  after  his  chief 
delight ;  and  no  one  certainly  ever  devoted  a  life  so 
earnestly  and  persistently  to  the  elaboration  and 
illustration  of  a  single  truth  as  he  did,  to  what  he  was 
wont  in  after  years  to  call  the  "Golden  Oracle" — 
that  Jesus  is  the  Christ. 


62  LIFE  OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCOTT. 

The  reader,  however,  niust  not  infer  from  this  that 
he  paid  httle  regard  to  other  constituent  elements  of 
Christianity,  such  as  faith,  repentance,  obedience, 
the  ordinances,  prayer,  praise,  good  works,  and  all 
that  pertains  to  a  true  and  pure  life-.  All  these  he 
regarded  as  growing  out  of  the  great  central  truth, 
and  deriving  all  their  importance  from  the  fact  of 
being  enjoined  by  that  most  illustrious  personage  of 
whom  the  eternal  Father  said :  "  This  is  my  beloved 
Son  ;  hear  ye  him."  He  ever  regarded  the  nature 
of  Christ  as  above  his  work ;  not  divine  because  he 
had  power  to  work  miracles  ;  but  he  wrought  those 
wonders  because  he  was  divine,  and  of  that  divinity 
they  were  but  the  proofs.  Had  he  been  but  a  man, 
a  prophet — nay,  the  greatest  of  the  prophets — his 
teachings  would  have  been  fallible,  his  example  im- 
perfect, his  death  but  a  martyrdom  that  would  have 
no  power  to  cleanse  from  sin  ;  all  his  promises  would, 
in  that  event,  have  been  insecure,  the  final  reward 
doubtful  ;  but  being  divine,  his  teachings  must  be  in- 
fallible, his  example  perfect,  his  death  a  sacrifice,  his 
promises  sure,  the  reward  of  the  faithful  certain  ;  and 
he  himself  be  an  object  that  men  might  not  only  obey 
and  love,  but  whom  it  would  not  be  idolatry  to  -adore. 

His  mind  had  long  been  perplexed  with  the  question, 
**Is  there  more  than  one  way  of  preaching  Christ.?" 
The  practice  of  the  day  and  the  different  and  even 
contradictory  views  set  forth  from  the  various  pulpits 
favored  the  affirmative  ;  but  with  the  Bible  as  the 
standard,  and  the  apostles  as  models,  he  soon  settled 
down  in  the  conviction  that  while  there  might  be 
many  false  or  imperfect  ways,  there  could  be  only  one 
true  way  of  preaching  the  way  of  life  and  salvation, 


HIS  REPUTATION  AS  A    TEACHER.  63 

and  that  way,  of  necessity,  must  be  that  pursued  by 
the  apostles  in  making  known  to  both  Jew  and  Gen- 
tile the  gospel  often 

His  reputation  as  a  teacher,  in  the  meantime,  con- 
tinued to  increase  ;  his  school,  as  already  intimated, 
was  select,  the  number  of  pupils  being  restricted  to 
fifteen  ;  but  when  he  gave  public  examinations  the 
proficiency  of  his  pupils  and  the  superiority  of  his 
method  of  instruction  was  so  apparent,  that  many  of 
the  principal  citizens  urged  that  his  school  should  be 
thrown  open,  that  a  larger  number  might  receive  the 
benefit  of  his  instructions  ;  and  as  soon  as  this  was 
done  the  number  ran  up  to  one  hundred  and  forty. 
The  only  difterence  which  took  place  between  his  pa- 
trons and  himself  was  in  regard  to  the  nature  and  ex- 
tent of  religious  instruction  in  his  school,  he  being  in 
favor  of  the  New  Testament  being  read  daily,  and  they, 
who  were  mainly  Presbyterians,  preferring  that  the 
Westminster  Catechism  should  be  taught.  Against 
this  he  took  a  decided  stand,  and  gives  as  his  reason, 
that  even  at  that  early  date  of  his  religious  profession 
he  was  thoroughly  convinced  that  in  regard  to  Chris- 
tianity it  was  his  duty  to  teach  it,  not  as  found  in 
creeds  and  party  standards,  but  just  as  it  was  written. 
Being  unable  to  agree  upon  the  matter,  a  compromise 
was  made  ;  all  catechisms  were  laid  aside,  and  a  chap- 
ter in  the  New  Testament  allowed  to  be  read  every 
Saturday.  For  the  good  of  his  pupils  he  determined 
to  make  the  most  of  this,  and  having,  as  he  says,  had 
his  whole  soul  aroused,  and  astonished  by  the  views 
of  Christ  which  were  unfolded  to  him  during  his  in- 
tense and  prayerful  study  of  the  gospels,  he  deter- 
mined that  the  lessons  should  be  drawn  from  the  four 


/ 


64  LIFE  OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCOTT. 

evangelists  ;  that  Christ  should  be  the  theme  of  each 
Saturday's  lesson  ;  and  that  the  great  point  might  be 
kept  before  the  minds  of  his  pupils  during  the  week 
he  wrote  with  chalk,  in  large  letters,  over  the  door  of 
his  academ}',  in  the  inside,  the  words  "Jesus  is  the 
Christ." 

It  was  in  Pittsburg,  while  thus  engaged,  in  the  win- 
ter of  1821-22,  that  he  first  met  Alexander  Campbell, 
with  whom  his  own  history  and  efforts  in  the  future 
were  to  be  so  intimately  blended.  Mr.  Campbell, 
who  was  nearly  ten  years  his  senior,  had  been  well 
educated,  and,  like  himself,  intended  for  the  Presby- 
terian ministry ;  but  being  of  an  original  turn  of 
mind,  a  bold  and  independent  thinker,  he  found,  at  an 
early  age,  that  he  could  not  be  limited  by  the  narrow 
bounds  of  a  party  creed,  but  desired  to  explore  for 
himself  the  ocean  of  revealed  truth.  He  did  not 
commit  the  common  yet  fatal  mistake  of  rejecting 
the  Bible  on  account  of  the  divisions  and  contradic- 
tions existing  between  the  various  religious  sects  and 
parties:  these,  he  perceived,  did  not  have  their  origin 
in  the  Word  of  God,  but  rather  resulted  from  a  neg- 
lect or  departure  from  it ;  and  though  he  had  uncon- 
sciously imbibed  many  errors  in  early  life,  when  too 
young  to  question  and  discriminate,  he  dismissed 
them  one  by  one  without  a  sigh  and  scarcely  a  strug- 
gle when  he  found  them  without  foundation  in  the 
Word  of  God.  For  that  Word  he  had  always  cher- 
ished the  deepest  reverence,  and  when  in  early  man- 
hood he  was  in  imminent  peril  by  shipwreck  he 
made  a  solemn  promise  to  God  that  if  delivered  from 
the  threatened  peril  he  would  devote  his  life  to  the 
work  of  preaching  the  gospel.     It  was  at  once  a  sur- 


MEETS  WITH  ALEXANDER  CAMPBELL.  65 

prise  and  a  pleasure  to  those  two  men,  on  meeting, 
to  find  that  they  occupied  common  ground,  when 
each  had  heretofore  regarded  himself  as  almost  alone 
in  his  views  of  the  Christian  religion  and  of  the  rem- 
edy for  the  divisions  and  party  strifes  by  which  the 
religious  world  was  agitated.  That  remedy  was  the 
abandonment  of  all  creeds,  confessions  of  faith,  and 
party  standards,  and  a  return  to  the  Word  of  God  as 
the  only  rule  of  faith  and  practice.  Peace  and  unity, 
they  knew,  had  prevailed  as  long  as  that  Word  was  re- 
garded as  the  only  safe  rule  and  guide ;  and  though  it 
had  been  widely  departed  from,  still  they  did  not 
doubt  that  a  return  to  it  would  result  in  blessings 
untold  to  the  church  and  the  world. 

But  the  reader  must  here  be  reminded  that  though 
they  had  found  the  right  path,  they  had  by  no  means 
explored  it ;  they  had  discovered  what  was  a  sure  and 
safe  test  of  religious  truth,  but,  save  in  a  few  in- 
stances, they  had  not  applied  it ;  they  were  like  mar- 
iners with  perfect  confidence  in  the  chart  on  which 
their  course  was  marked  out,  but  as  yet  had  not  seen 
all  the  rich  islands  which  gemmed  the  bosom  of  the 
deep,  over  which  they  must  sail  before  the  safe,  quiet 
harbor  of  their  hopes  was  gained.  They  were  reform- 
ers, but  reformers  only  in  embryo  or  promise — re- 
formers like  Luther,  when  he  first  found,  opened,  and 
read  the  Bible ;  like  Wesley,  in  his  little  prayer-meet- 
ing at  Oxford — reformers  with  their  work  before 
them,  with  its  extent  and  importance  but  imperfectly 
realized  ;  but  the  work  was  still  to  be  done. 

In  regard  to  this  meeting  with  Mr.  Campbell,  Mr. 
Scott  says  :  ''When  my  acquaintance  with  him  began, 
our  age  and  feelings  alike  rendered  us  susceptible  of 
6 


66  LIFE  OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCOTT. 

a  mutual  attachment,  and  that  was  formed,  I  trust, 
on  the  best  of  principles.  If  the  regard  which  we 
cherished  for  each  other  was  exalted  by  any  thing 
purely  incidental,  that  thing  was  an  ardent  desire  in 
the  bosom  of  both  to  reform  the  Christian  profession, 
which  to  each  of  us  appeared  in  a  state  of  the  most 
miserable  destitution."  Both  of  them  had  at  one 
time  been  highly  Calvinistic  in  belief;  and  while 
they  saw  and  deplored  the  distracted  condition  of 
religious  affairs,  it  seemed  as  if  all  efforts  toward  an 
improvement  would  prove  unavailing ;  but  when  they 
were  freed  from  the  incubus  of  a  party  theology,  they 
felt  that  the  Word  of  God,  so  far  from  producing  the 
state  of  things  which  had  caused  them  such  sorrow, 
really  condemned  them  and  contained  in  itself  all  the 
elements  necessary  to  a  cure.  Mr.  Scott's  meeting 
with  Alexander  Campbell  naturally  opened  the  way 
to  an  acquaintance  with  his  father,  Thomas  Camp- 
bell, between  whom  and  his  gifted  son  there  existed 
the  most  perfect  sympathy  of  feeling  in  their  relig- 
ious views  and  efforts. 

At  that  time  there  were  few,  if  any,  better  educated 
ministers  in  America  than  the  elder  Campbell ;  and 
he  was  not  less  remarkable  for  his  perfect  courtesy  of 
manner  and  well  developed  Christian  character,  than 
for  his  natural  ability  and  literary  culture  ;  and  look- 
ing at  the  trio,  Thomas  Campbell,  Alexander  Camp- 
bell, and  Walter  Scott,  as  we  now  can  in  the  light  of 
their  finished  lives  and  work,  it  may  be  said  truthfully 
that  they  were  not  surpassed  in  genius,  eloquence, 
talent,  learning,  energy,  devotion  to  the  truth,  and 
purity  of  life,  by  any  three  men  of  the  age  in  which 
they  lived. 


THE   THREE  FRJEXDS.  6/ 

The  esteem  which  Mr.  Scott  and  Thomas  Campbell 
soon  learned  to  entertain  for  each  other  was  after- 
wards strengthened  by  much  personal  intercourse 
and  united  labor  in  presenting  to  the  world  the  views 
which  they  held  in  common,  and  to  the  spread  of 
which  they  contributed  so  much,  so  that  their  natural 
affection  and  regard  seemed  like  that  of  father  and 
son.  In  regard  to  this  intimacy,  the  elder  Campbell 
wrote  thus  to  Scott  many  years  after :  "  I  think  \ 
should  know  you,  and  that  you  also  should  know  me. 
We  have  participated  in  the  most  confidential  inti- 
macy, and  I  know  of  nothing  that  should  abate  it. 
Our  mutual  esteem  and  unfeigned  attachment  to  each 
other  have  been  to  me  precious  items  of  comfort  and 
satisfaction,  the  privation  of  which  would  inflict  a 
serious  wound,  more  especially  because  it  is  so  inti- 
mately connected,  I  had  almost  said  identified,  with 
my  feelings  in  relation  to  the  promotion  of- the  inter- 
ests of  the  Redeemer's  kingdom  within  the  limits  of 
our  mutual  co-operation." 

Alexander  Campbell,  nearly  twenty  years  after  they 
first  met,  thus  writes  to  Scott :  "  We  were  associated 
in  the  days  of  weakness,  infancy,  and  imbecility,  and 
tried  in  the  vale  of  adversity,  while  as  yet  there  was 
but  a  handful.  My  father,  yourself,  and  myself  were 
the  only  three  spirits  that  could  (and  providentially 
we  were  the  only  persons  thrown  together  that  were 
capable  of  forming  any  general  or  comprehensive 
views  of  things  spiritual  and  ecclesiastical)  co-operate 
in  a  great  work  or  enterprise.  The  Lord  greatly 
blessed  our  very  imperfect  and  feeble  beginnings  ; 
and  this  is  one  reason  worth  a  million  that  we  ought 
always  to  cherish  the  kindest  feelings,  esteem,  admir- 


6S  LIFE  OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCOTT.     / 

ation,  love."     This  feeling  was  fully  reciprocated  on 
the  part  of  Scott. 

And  now,  having  brought  together  these  three  men 
of  such  great  and  varied  talents,  animated  by  a  pur- 
pose at  once  great  and  good,  the  reader  can  not  fail  to 
discern  the  hand  of  Providence  in  the  matter ;  and 
now  that  the  instrumentalities  are  prepared  and 
brought  together,  it  will  not  surprise  us  to  see  the 
work  to  which,  in  the  providence  of  God,  they  were 
called,  spread  and  prosper. 


CONVERSION  OF  SAMUEL  CHURCH.  69 


CHAPTER    IV. 


Conversion  of  Samuel  Church — Marriage — Extracts  from  his  essays  in  the 
Christian  Baptist — Need  of  the  Ancient  Gospel  perceived. 


DURING  the  lifetime  of  Mr.  Forrester,  the  position 
of  Mr.  Scott  in  the  church  was  that  of  a  pupil ;  hav- 
ing been  brought  into  it  by  the  labors  of  his  friend,  he 
had  ever  looked  up  to  him  with  an  affection  and  respect 
that  almost  might  be  termed  veneration,  and,  though 
having  a  wider  range  of  thought  and  a  much  higher 
degree  of  cultivation,  he  felt  all  the  meekness  and  hu- 
mility of  a  child  at  the  feet  of  its  teacher.  But  when 
that  teacher  and  guide  was  so  unexpectedly  removed, 
he  was  placed  in  a  new  relation  to  the  little  commu- 
nity for  "which  his  departed  friend  had  labored  so  long 
and  faithfully.  He  became  now  a  teacher  where  he 
had  lately  been  a  pupil  ;  but  being  thus  thrown  on 
his  own  resources  his  natural  diffidence  soon  gave 
place  to  self-reliance,  and  his  remarkable  abilities 
developed  rapidly.  He  not  only  strengthened  the 
church  by  his  admirable  method  of  teaching  the 
Scriptures,  but  he  also  increased  its  numbers  by  con- 
vincing and  persuading  others  to  obey  the  truth. 
Prominent  among  his  early  converts  was  Samuel 
Church,  whose  labors  were  afterwards  made  such  a 
blessing  to  multitudes,  and  whose  memory  is  so  pre- 
cious still.  His  early  training  was  among  the  Cove- 
nanters, but  he  afterwards  became  a  member  of  an 


70  LIFE  OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCOTT. 

Independent  church,  of  which  Mr.  John  Tassey  was  the 
pastor.  He  was  a  close  student,  however,  of  the  Bi- 
ble, and  its  truths  made  a  much  deeper  impression  on 
his  mind  and  heart  than  the  peculiarities  of  his 
church  ;  and  at  a  very  early  age  he  was  one  of  the 
most  active  workers  in  one  of  the  first  Sabbath- 
schools  of  the  city.  Having  made  the  acquaintance 
of  Mr.  Scott,  he  soon  became  deeply  interested  in  the 
then  novel  views  which  he  advocated.  These  views, 
he  was  not  slow  to  perceive,  had  a  resemblance  to  his 
Bible  readings,  and  a  closer  examination  satisfied  him 
that  they  were  identical ;  for  he  found  that  Mr.  Scott 
was  able  to  do  what  he  himself  found  impossible — 
namely,  to  express  his  views  in  the  very  language  of 
the  Holy  Scriptures.  The  conflict  was  not  as  for- 
merly between  the  views  of  the  Covenanters  and  In- 
dependents, the  comparative  merits  of  differing  creeds, 
but  between  a  human  theory  supported  by  texts  of 
Scripture  often  sadly  misapplied,  and  the  uniform  and 
consistent  teaching  of  the  Word  of  the  living  God. 
He  soon  discovered  that  Infant  Baptism  was  not  only 
inferential,  but  that  the  inference  was  wholly  unwar- 
ranted, and  that  the  mode  of  baptism,  as  then  prac- 
ticed, was  wholly  unlike  the  teaching  of  the  New  Tes- 
tament upon  that  subject.  In  a  word,  the  whole  gos- 
pel plan  had  now  a  plainness,  beauty,  and  simplicity 
which  the  theology  under  which  he  had  been  brought 
up  had,  in  a  great  measure,  obscured,  and  he  felt  that 
the  pearl  of  truth  for  which  he  had  long  been"  dili- 
gently seeking  was  found  at  last.  He  accordingly 
made  a  public  profession  of  his  faith  in  the  Lord 
Jesus,  and  was  immersed  by  Mr.  Scott.  He  was  at 
that  time  about  twenty-three  years  of  age,  extremely 


A   GREAT  BIBLE  STUDENT.  7 1 

engaging  in  his  appearance  and  pleasing  in  his  man- 
ners. In  his  heart  the  good  seed  found  a  rich  and 
genial  soil,  and  brought  forth  in  his  subsequent  life 
an  abundant  harvest.  His  education  was  limited,  but 
his  mind  was  enriched  by  various  and  careful  read- 
ing, so  that  he  was  able  to  express  his  thoughts  with 
great  force  and  clearness  ;  he  was,  moreover,  endowed 
with  rare  wisdom  and  common  sense,  and  a  kinder 
heart  never  beat  in  human  breast.  His  knowledge 
of  the  Bible,  by  long  and  close  study,  became  remark- 
able, indeed  wonderful ;  he  was  a  diligent  student  of  it 
from  his  early  youth,  and  at  the  age  of  forty  he  had 
read  the  New  Testament  through  one  hundred  and 
fifty  times,  and  the  Old  Testament  half  that  number. 
By  this  means  he  made  the  thoughts  of  the  sacred 
writers  his  own,  could  quote  accurately  from  any  por- 
tion of  the  sacred  record,  and  had  such  an  admirable 
knowledge  of  its  scope  and  the  relation  of  its  various 
parts  that  Alexander  Campbell,  in  the  height  of  his 
power  and  success  as  a  defender  of  the  Christian  re- 
ligion against  attacks  from  all  quarters,  said  that  he 
would  rather  trust  Samuel  Church  in  the  discussion 
of  any  subject  that  could  be  settled  by  the  common 
version  of  the  Bible  than  any  other  man  within  his 
knowledge.  He  always  carried  with  him  a  small  copy 
of  the  Bible,  that  he  might  read  it  whenever  or  wher- 
ever an  opportunity  occurred — in  the  intervals  of  busi- 
ness, on  his  travels,  or,  where  he  was  often  found,  by  the 
bedside  of  the  sick  and  the  dying. 

One  or  two  instances  of  his  love  for  the  Bible  may 
be  mentioned.  One  evening  he  went  to  prayer-meet- 
ing, but  in  consequence  of  a  severe  storm  no  one  but 
himself  was  there;  but  he  spent  more  than  the  allotted 


72  LIFE  OF  ELDER  WALTER  SCOTT. 

time  in  reading  the  entire  gospel  by  Luke.  Indeed, 
the  writer  has  never  known  any  one  who  devoted  so 
much  of  his  Hfe  to  the  reading  and  study  of  the  Word  of 
God  as  did  this  good  man  ;  it  was  near  and  dear  to 
his  heart  all  his  life,  and  he  asked,  when  dying,  that 
it  should  be  placed  beneath  his  pillow. 

Another  congregation  was  established  in  Allegheny 
City,  over  which  Mr.  Church  presided  for  nearly  thirty 
years,  with  such  success  that  it  soon  outnumbered 
the  church  in  Pittsburg,  and  became  one  of  the  most 
noted  and  influential  churches  in  the  movement  called 
the  Reformation.  A  very  warm  attachment  sprung 
up  between  Mr.  Scott  and  his  amiable  and  earnest 
young  convert,  which  grew  and  increased  until  death 
severed  them  for  a  season. 

On  the  3d  of  January,  1^23,  Mr.  Scott  was  united 
in  marriage  with  Miss  Sarah  Whitsett,  at  that  time  a 
member  of  the  religious  body  known  as  Covenanters  ; 
she  afterwards  united  with  the  church  then  under 
the  care  of  her  husband,  to  whom  she  proved  to  be  a 
faithful  and  affectionate  helper,  who  shared  without 
murmuring  the  toils  and  privations  incident  to  such 
a  life  as  his  labors  and  sacrifices  made  it  necessary  to 
lead.  "  He  was  at  this  time  about  26  years  of  age, 
about  the  medium  height,  slender  and  rather  spare  in 
person,  and  possessed  of  little  muscular  strength. 
His  aspect  was  abstracted,  meditative,  and  sometimes 
had  even  an  air  of  sadness.  His  nose  was  straight,  his 
lips  rather  full,  but  delicately  chiseled  ;  his  eyes  dark 
and  lustrous  ;  full  of  intelligence  and  tenderness  ;  and 
his  hair,  clustering  above  his  fine  ample  forehead,  was 
black  as  the  raven's  wing."  Such,  doubtless,  he  ap- 
peared then  to  his  favorite  pupil,  to  whom  we  are  in- 


THE  CHRIS TL 1 X  BAPTIS 7\  73 

debtee!  for  the  above  description.  But  it  must  be 
remembered  that  the  teacher  is  often  an  object  of 
reverence  and  awe  to  the  pupil,  and  this  may  have 
rendered  the  picture  less  attractive  than  it  would  have 
been  if  drawn  by  another  hand.  The  writer  knew  him 
well  in  after  years,  subject,  at  times,  it  is  true,  to 
hours  of  depression,  but  in  the  main,  genial  and  even 
mirthful ;  abounding  in  anecdotes  and  brilliant  flashes 
of  wit  and  repartee,  and  especially  delighting  in,  and 
delightful  to,  the  young.  His  entrance  into  a  room 
full  of  young  people,  instead  of  checking  or  clouding 
their  mirth,  served  only  to  increase  it ;  and  was  like 
the  letting  in  of  additional  sunshine. 

It  was  in  this  year  that  his  friend  A.  Campbell  pro- 
jected his  first  publication,  which  afterwards  became  so 
famous  ;  but  before  issuing  the  work  he  consulted  Mr. 
Scott  in  regard  to  it.  He  intended  to  name  his  paper 
"  The  Christian ;"  but  Mr.  Scott  suggested  that  it  might 
disarm  prejudice  and  secure  a  wider  circulation  were 
he  to  call  it  "The  Christian  Baptist,"  especially  as  it 
was  expected  to  circulate  mainly  among  the  Baptists, 
among  whom  the  elements  of  reform  had  for  some 
time  been  slowly  and  silently  spreading.  Mr.  Scott's 
suggestion  met  his  approval,  and  the  periodical,  which 
produced  the  greatest  revolution  in  religious  thought 
in  this  century,  was  issued  in  August,  1823,  under 
the  name  of    "  The  Christian  Baptist." 

From  the  time  of  his  first  meeting  with  Mr.  Scott, 
Mr.  Campbell  had  felt  that  he  had  met  with  no  ordi- 
nary man,  and  having  discovered,  he  was  not  slow  to 
acknowledge,  his  ability,  and  urged  him  to  set  forth  his 
views  through  the  medium  of  the  new  periodical  to 
which  he  had  given  a  name.  In  accordance  with  this 
7 


74  /-//'"^   OF  ELDER  WALTER  SCOTT. 

invitation  he  prepared  an  article  for  the  first  number, 
with  the  caption,  "A  Divinely  Authorized  Plan  of 
Teaching  the  Christian  Religion."  Mr.  Campbell 
himself  had  an  article  headed  the  "  Christian  Relig- 
ion;" and  his  father  contributed  an  essay  on  the 
*'  Primary  Intention  of  the  Gospel." 

The  publication  of  this  paper  marked  a  new  era  in 
religious  literature  ;  the  novelty  of  the  views,  the  ex- 
traordinary ability  with  which  they  were  set  forth,  the 
reforms  for  which  they  called,  and,  above  all,  their  evi- 
dent truth,  created  an  interest  and  an  inquiry  such  as 
has  seldom  been  equaled. 

Mr.  Scott  continued  his  Essays  on  the  theme  above 
mentioned  through  four  numbers  of  "The  Christian 
Baptist,"  and  in  them  he  says  or  suggests  all  that  is 
needed  on  that  subject.  They  are,  in  a  word,  exhaust- 
ive, embodying,  as  they  do,  the  earnest  and  prayerful 
reflections  of  years  ;  and  in  vigor  of  style  and  felicity 
of  expression  they  will  not  suffer  by  comparison  with 
the  finest  productions  of  the  present  day. 

A  few  extracts  from  these  Essays  will  bring  before 
the  mind  of  the  reader  the  needs  of  those  times,  and 
justify  all  we  have  said  concerning  them  : 

'^  Were  a  vision  vouchsafed  us  for  the  single  purpose  of 
revealing  one  uniform  and  universal  plan  of  teaching  the 
Christian  religion,  would  not  every  Christian  admire  the 
goodness  of  God  in  determining  a  matter  on  which  scarce 
two  calling  themselves  Christian  teachers  now  agree? 
Would  not  every  teacher  feel  himself  bound  in  duty  to 
abandon  his  own  plan  and  to  adopt  the  plan  of  God ;  to 
study  it,  to  teach  it,  and,  in  short,  to  maintain  its  superi- 
ority and  authority  against  all  other  schemes,  how  plausi- 
ble soever  in  their  configuration,  how  apparently  suitable 


ESS  J  YS  IX  CHRISTIAN  BAPTIST:  75 

soever  in  their  application  ?  The  writer  has  not  been 
favored  with  any  vision  on  this  matter ;  moreover,  as  he 
deems  it  unnecessary,  he  of  course  does  not  expect  any  ; 
and  surely,  if  his  plan  be  authorized  by  the  example  of 
God  himself;  by  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ ;  by  the  Holy 
Spirit,  in  his  method  of  presenting  the  truth  to  all  men 
in  the  Scriptures ;  if  the  apostles  taught  the  truth  on  this 
plan ;  and  if  missionaries  in  teaching  idolaters  feel  them- 
selves forced  to  the  adoption  of  it,  then  there  is  no  need 
of  angel  or  vision.  Times  out  of  number  we  are  told  in 
Scripture  that  the  grand  saving  truth  is,  that  'Jesus  is  the 
Christ.'  This  is  the  bond  of  union  among  Christians — 
the  essence — the  spirit  of  all  revelation.  All  the  Scriptures 
testify  and  confirm  this  simple  truth,  that  'he  that  be- 
lieveth  that  Jesus  is  the  Christ  is  begotten  by  God.'  i 
John  5:  2.  For  he  who  believeth  it  sets  to  his  seal  that 
God  is  true.  Such  a  one,  John  says,  loveth  God,  and  Christ, 
and  the  brethren ;  keepeth  his  commands,  and  is  purified 
from  all  his  sins,  and  overcometh  the  world,  and  shall  be 
saved.  Christ  declared,  when  departing  into  heaven,  that 
he  that  believeth  not  shall  be  damned.  The  grand  truth, 
then,  being  that  'Jesus  is  the  Christ,'  let  us  attend  to 
those  Scriptures  which  are  written  for  the  express  purpose 
of  establishing  this  proposition.  These  are  the  writings 
of  the  four  evangelists,  which  at  once  show  us  in  what  man- 
ner God  would  have  us  to  learn  this  truth  ;  in  what  manner 
the  Lord  Jesus  taught  it ;  how  the  Holy  Spirit  has  been 
pleased  to  present  it  to  mankind ;  how  the  apostles  wrote 
of  it,  and,  of  course,  taught  it  to  the  world.  This"  is  the 
beginning  of  the  plan  authorized  of  heaven,  and  every 
teacher  of  the  Christian  religion  should  commence  by  un- 
folding to  his  hearers  the  matter  of  the  four  evangelists. 
'These  things,'  says  John,  'are  Avritten  that  ye  might  be- 
lieve that  Jesus  is  the  Christ ;  and  that  believing,  ye  might 
have  life  through  his  name.' 


'jC)  LIFE  OF  ELDER   IVALTER  SCOTT. 

"  Now,  what  definition  soever  the  Holy  Scripture  has 
given  of  one  evangelist,  that  is  the  definition  of  them  all, 
for  each  of  them  contains  a  history  of  that  marvelous  evi- 
dence by  which  Jesus  proved  that  he  was  the  Christ :  by 
which  his  pretensions  to  the  Messiahship  were  so  amply 
confirmed  among  the  Jews.  The  perfection  of  Christian 
intelligence  is  a  knowledge  of  the  Holy  Scriptures,  and  no 
Christian  is  intelligent  but  as  he  knows  the  Scriptures. 
The  desideratum,  then,  is  a  plan  for  teaching  them  to  the 
people.  By  commencing  with  the  four  evangelists,  and 
abiding  by  them  until  they  are  relished  and  understood, 
we  learn,  chief  of  all  things,  that  Jesus  is  the  Christ ;  and 
while  the  number,  magnitude,  variety,  sublimity,  and  be- 
nignity of  his  miracles  delight,  astonish,  and  instruct  us, 
they,  at  the  same  time,  carry  irresistible  conviction  to  the 
heart,  purge  it,  elevate  it,  and  fix  our  faith  in  the  mighty 
power  of  God.  By  and  by,  as  we  become  familiarized  to 
the  miraculous  evidence,  we  become  reconciled  and  even 
strongly  attached  to  it,  losing  all  suspicion  of  its  reality, 
and,  of  course,  of  the  reality  of  our  holy  religion  ;  because 
we  come  to  perceive  that  these  things  were  not  done  in  a 
corner,  but  in  public,  and  under  the  inspection  of  men 
who  were  both  able  and  forward  to  decide  upon  their  truth 
and  certainty  ;  men  who,  in  point  of  intellect,  reason,  and 
character,  might  have  vied  with  the  choicest  of  our  mod- 
ern skeptics  ;  men,  in  short,  whose  abilities  to  detect  were 
equaled  only  by  their  readiness  to  pervert. 

''  In  the  writings  of  the  evangelists  we  behold  that  power 
which  created  man  and  all  things  exerting  itself  with  all 
possible  unaffected  pomp  and  majesty ;  tempering,  untir- 
ing, and  clothing  itself  with  ail  goodness  and  philanthropy ; 
and  so  entirely  at  the  will  of  the  Holy  One,  that  it  ac- 
companies those  who  accompany  him.  It  sparkles,  it 
flashes,  it  shines,  it  heals,  it  renovates,  it  creates,  it  con- 
trols, it  rests,  it  leaps,  it  flies,  it  kindly  raises' up  the  bowed 


ESSA  YS  IN  CHKIST/AX  BAPTIST.  77 

down,  or  hushes  into  silence  the  swelling  and  reluctant 
storm;  it  flies  forth  with  the  breath  of  his  mouth  ;  it  op- 
erates at  the  tuft  of  his  mantle,  at  the  tip  of  his  finger,  or 
at  the  distance  of  a  hundred  leagues  ;  now  it  is  in  the  air- 
with  a  voice  like  thunder  ;  it  shakes  open  the  nodding 
tombs,  or  it  rends  the  crashing  mountains  around  Jerusa- 
lem ;  always  marvelous,  it  is  always  harmless,  and  mostly 
benevolent.  True,  there  is  nothing  conciliating  ;  apart 
from  goodness,  we  always  choose  to  inspect  it  at  a  distance; 
but  if  joined  with  malevolence  we  fly  from  it  with  horror 
and  affright.  Power  is  formidable  and  even  terrifying  in 
the  tiger,  because  in  him  it  is  a  mere  instrument  of  cruelty; 
but  the  same  power  becomes  amiable  in  the  horse,  because 
all  the  thunder  of  his  neck,  all  the  glory  of  his  nostrils,  the 
strength  of  his  limbs,  and  the  fierceness  of  his  attitude,  are 
continually  held  in  check  by  that  beautiful  docility  which 
so  eminently  characterizes  this  noble  animal,  and  by  which 
his  very  will  is  identified  with  that  of  his  rider.  In  the 
evangelists  we  behold  the  everlasting,  the  unexpended 
power  itself,  revealed  in  the  form  of  a  servant,  and  with 
more  than  a  servant's  humility,  the  strength  of  the  Lion 
of  the  tribe  of  Judah,  and  the  harmlessness  of  the  Lamb 
dwelling  together  in  the  same  one." 

''  The  ultimate  design  of  these  papers  on  Christianity  is 
to  exhibit  a  plan  of  preaching  Christ  to  mankind,  having 
for  its  authority  the  example  of  the  Father,  the  Son,  and 
the  Holy  Spirit,  together  with  that  of  the  apostles  and 
others,  who  in  the  beginning  were  commissioned  to  prom- 
ulgate the  new  doctrine.  The  design,  indeed,  may  at  first 
sight  seem  as  adventurous  as  it  is  novel ;  but  what  of  that  ? 
Christian  pastors  are  not  to  be  startled  at  the  apparent  pre- 
sumption or  novelty  of  my  attempt.  Their  principal  con- 
cern must  be  about  the  reality  of  what  I  propose.  Is  there 
'  one  way,  and  only  one,  of  preaching  Christ  to  sinners, 


78  LIFE  OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCOTT. 

and  is  that  one  way  supi)orted  by  the  above  authorities  ? 
I  answer  in  the  affirmative,  there  is  but  one  authorized  way 
of  making  Christ  known  to  men,  in  order  that  they  may 
believe  and  be  saved ;  and  now  it  is  my  business  to  show, 
by  Scripture,  that  this  is  the  case.  The  reader  will  remem- 
ber that  it  has  been  shown,  in  a  former  paper,  that  Jesus 
having  died  for  sin  and  arisen  again  to  introduce  the  hope 
of  immortality,  the  great  fact  to  be  believed,  in  order  to  be 
saved,  is  that  he  is  the  Son  of  God  ;  and  this  being  a  mat- 
ter-of-fact question,  the  belief  of  it  as  necessarily  depends 
upon  the  evidence  by  which  it  is  accompanied  as  the  be- 
lief of  any  other  fact  depends  upon  its  particular  evidence. 
No  one  thinks  of  accrediting  a  mere  assertion.  Our 
blessed  Savior  scrupled  not  to  tell  those  among  whom  he 
alleged  his  divine  authority,  that  if  he  alone  said  *he  was 
the  Messiah,'  his  testimony  was  not  to  be  regarded,  and 
then  reminded  them  of  the  testimony  given  by  John  the 
Baptist,  whom  they  held  to  be  a  prophet ;  the  testimony 
of  the  Father,  too,  and  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  of  the 
Scriptures ;  and  we  shall  see  by  and  by  that  to  preach  the 
gospel  is  just  to  propose  this  glorious  truth  to  sinners,  and 
support  it  by  its  proper  evidence.  We  shall  see  that  the 
heavens  and  the  apostles  proposed  nothing  more  in  order 
to  convert  men  from  the  error  of  their  ways  and  to  reduce 
them  to  the  love  and  obedience  of  Christ. 

''I  am  not  ignorant  that  there  are  thousands  who  sup- 
pose that  there  is  something  else  far  more  necessary  than 
this.  They  are  ready  to  say  that  every  body  believes  Jesus 
to  be  the  Son  of  God,  and  to  have  been  put  to  death  for 
sin.  To  this  it  may  be  proper  to  reply,  that  not  a  single 
soul  who  attends  the  popular  preachers  has  ever  been  con- 
vinced of  this  fact,  that  'Jesus  is  the  Savior,'  by  its  proper 
evidence.  Clergymen  do  not  preach  the  gospel  with  its 
proper  evidences.  They  proceed  in  their  annual  round  of 
sermonizing  on  this  capital  mistake  :  that  the  audience  have 


ESSAYS  IX  CI/KISTIAX  BAPTIST.  79 

believed  Jesus  to  be  the  Savior ;  so  that  their  very  best  ha- 
rangues, generally  denominated  gospel  sermons,  seldom  de- 
serve a  better  name  than  rants  about  the  everlasting  fire 
that  shall  consume  the  despisers  of  the  offered  salvation. 
But  everybody  who  has  read  the  New  Testament  must  have 
observed  that  the  Scriptures  never  propose  the  rewards  and 
punishments  which  are  appended  to  the  belief  and  rejec- 
tion of  the  gospel  as  a  proof  of  its  truth  ;  and  every  one 
who  knows  how  the  apostles  preached  the  gospel  must 
know  also  that  they  never  did  so  ;  that  they  never  produced 
the  sanctions  of  everlasting  burning  in  order  to  secure  the 
faith  and  obedience  of  their  hearers.  If,  indeed,  their 
hearers  were  sometimes  refractory,  and  would  even  dare  to 
despise  the  gospel  when  set  before  them  with  its  proper 
evidences,  the  gifts,  the  miracles,  and  the  prophecies,  then, 
indeed,  the  apostles  made  known  the  terrors  of  the  Lord, 
not  the  terrors  of  the  law.  Then,  indeed,  they  made  it 
known  that  the  Lord  should  be  revealed  from  heaven  to 
take  vengeance  by  fire  on  them  that  obeyed  not  God — /.  e., 
believed  not  the  gospel  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ ;  but  this 
was  not  to  prove  that  Jesus  had  been  put  to  death  for  sin, 
and  was  the  Son  of  God,  but  only  to  warn  those  who 
might  be  disposed  to  despise  or  neglect  that  splendid  evi- 
dence of  gifts,  miracles,  etc.,  which  proved  their  gospel  to 
be  true,  which  proved  Jesus  to  have  been  crucified  for 
sin,  and  to  be  the  Son  of  God.  In  short,  the  apostles 
proceeded  thus:  they  first  proposed  the  truth  to  be  be- 
lieved ;  and,  secondly,  they  produced  the  evidences  neces- 
sary to  warrant  belief;  and,  thirdly,  if  any  seemed  to  de- 
spise the  gospel,  or  resist  the  Holy  Spirit — /.  e.,  the  evidence 
afforded  by  the  Holy  Spirit  in  gifts,  miracles,  and  prophecy — 
then  they  warned  these  desi)isers  of  the  consequences,  and 
thus  freed  themselves  from  the  blood  of  all  men." 

Such  essays  as  these,  from  which  we  have  quoted, 
and  the  powerful  articles  from  the  pen  of  the  editor 


8o  LIFE  OF  ELDER  WALTER  SCOTT. 

in  each  number,  soon  created  a  profound  sensation. 
In  many  of  the  communities  in  which  "The  Chris- 
tian Baptist  "  circulated  the  foundations  of  religious 
belief  were  carefully  and  earnestly  re-examined  ;  and 
the  result  was  that  many  of  its  readers,  to  whom  re- 
ligion, as  popularly  taught,  was  a  mysterious  and 
altogether  unintelligible  affair,  now  saw  in  it,  as  set 
forth  in  the  Scriptures,  a  beautiful  harmony  and  sim- 
plicity, and  began  to  spread  among  their  neighbors 
the  light  which  they  had  received  ;  and  being  of  ne- 
cessity placed  on  the  defensive,  they  were  obliged  to 
maintain  by  an  appeal  to  Scripture  the  views  they 
had  espoused.  In  some  instances  entire  churches 
with  their  pastors  were  led  to  lay  aside  their  creeds 
and  much  of  their  theology  and  to  accept  the  Word 
of  God  as  their  only  guide.  The  publication  of  this 
remarkable  sheet  continued  for  seven  years  with  in- 
creased interest  and  a  largely  augmented  list  of  sub- 
scribers, and  only  ceased  to  give  place  to  a  larger  and 
more  widely-circulated  monthly  called  "  The  Millennial 
Harbinger."  During  the  existence  of  ''The  Christian 
Baptist "  Mr.  Scott  was  a  frequent  contributor  to  its 
pages,  and  his  numerous  articles  under  the  signature 
of  ''Philip"  gained  him  a  reputation  scarcely  inferior 
to  that  of  the  editor — A.  Campbell  himself 

Up  to  this  time  nearly  all  the  efforts  made  by  these 
advocates  of  reform  were  confined  to  the  correcting 
of  evils  and  abuses  in  the  church,  and  comparatively 
little  was  done  for  the  conversion  of  sinners  ;  and  the 
result,  of  course,  was,  that  while  many  were  led  to 
adopt  the  views  set  forth  with  zeal  and  vigor,  there 
was  but  little  growth  in  the  churches  as  far  as  num- 
bers were  concerned.     They  had  not,  as  yet,  clearly 


THE  GOSPEL  AGGRESSIVE.  8 1 

perceived  the  distinction  between  the  original  order 
of  the  church  and  the  original  gospel,  and  were  so 
occupied  with  an  attempt  to  reform  the  church  and 
unite  the  various  conflicting  parties,  that  they  did  not 
at  first  perceive  that  there  was  an  equal  necessity  for 
urging  the  original  plea,  as  made  by  the  apostles  in 
their  addresses  to  the  world.  The  reformation  thus 
far  was  ecclesiastical,  but  the  aggressive  element  of 
the  gospel  was  wanting  ;  the  few  that  united  with 
them  from  the  world  had,  as  it  were,  to  take  the  king- 
dom of  heaven  by  violence  ;  but  the  necessity  of  going 
before  the  world  with  the  gospel  message  of  entreaty 
and  invitation  soon  became  apparent  to  the  mind  of 
Scott,  who,  as  we  shortly  shall  see,  soon  began  to 
realize  what  was  needed  in  this  respect,  and  began  to 
invite  and  compel  men  to  come  to  the  gospel  feast. 


82  LIFE  OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCOTT, 


CHAPTER    V. 

Removal  to  Steubenville — Visits  the  Mahoning  Baptist  Association — Mr. 
Scott  chosen  as  Evangelist — His  field  of  labor — Religious  expe- 
riences— The  three  brothers. 

MR.  SCOTT  remained  in  Pittsburg  teaching  his 
academy  and  instructing  the  church  until 
sometime  in  1826,  when  he  removed  to  Steubenville, 
Ohio.  It  was  in  the  summer  of  this  year  also  that 
he  made  his  first  appearance  at  the  Mahoning  Bap- 
tist Association,  within  the  bounds  of  which  he  after- 
wards became  so  famous.  The  association  met  on 
the  25th  of  August.  Mr.  Scott  was  not  a  member 
of  this  body,  but  is  mentioned  in  the  Minutes  simply 
as  a  teaching  brother,  but  was  by  courtesy  invited  to 
partake  in  its  deliberations ;  and  probably  from  the 
fact  of  his  being  a  stranger  was,  by  a  similar  act  of 
courtesy,  invited  to  preach  on  Sunday,  at  10  o'clock 
A.  M.,  the  hour  usually  occupied  by  the  best  talent. 
His  sermon,  based  on  the  nth  chapter  of  Matthew, 
was  a  powerful  one  and  made  a  deep  impression.  A. 
S.  Hayden,  then  quite  a  youth,  was  present,  and  saw 
and  heard  Scott  for  the  first  time.  He  says  that  his 
fancy,  imagination,  eloquence,  neatness,  and  finish  as 
a  preacher  and  a  man  attracted  his  attention,  and 
fixed  him  forever  on  his  memory.  Alexander  Camp- 
bell, whose  reputation  was  already  great,  was  present, 
and  many  who  had  been  attracted  to  the  meeting  by 
his  fame  supposed  that  they  were  hearing  him  while 


ATTEXDS  THE  ,ISS0C!AT70N. 


83 


listening  to  Scott,  and  when  he  closed  left  the  place 
'under  that  impression.  The  Association  met  the 
next  year,  1827,  at  New  Lisbon,  Columbiana  County, 
Ohio.  Alexander  Campbell  had  been  appointed  by 
the  church  of  which  he  was  a  member,  at  Wells- 
burgh,  Va.,  to  attend  as  its  messenger,  and  on  his 
way  he  stopped  at  Steubenville  and  invited  Mr.  Scott 
to  go  with  him.  He  was  somewhat  disinclined  to  do 
so,  as  he  was  not  a  member  of  the  body,  or  of  any 
church  represented  in  it  ;  but  being  urged,  he  went. 
This  seemingly  unimportant  event  proved  to  be  one 
of  the  most  important  steps  of  his  life,  as  the  sequel 
will  show  ;  and  as  it  is  doubtful  whether  there  is  in 
existence  a  single  printed  copy  of  the  Minutes  of  that 
meeting,  the  entire  proceedings  are  presented  below, 
which  form  a  very  important  and  valuable  portion  of 
the  history  of  the  times  : 

Minutes  of  the  Mahoning  Baptist  Association. 

Convened  at  N'exv  Lisbon,  Ohio,  August  23,  1827. 

1.  Assembled  at  i  o'clock   P.    M.    for  public  worship, 
when  Bro.  A.  Bentley  discoursed  from  John  xviii :  37. 

2.  Read  the  letters  from   the  following    churches,  and 
took  an  account  of  their  numbers : 


CHURCHES. 

messengers'  names. 

> 

s  2: 
•=  E 
?•§ 

:  -: 

3 
9 

> 

:  o- 

I 
... 

... 

0 

i. 
1 

~7.. 
4 

2 

I 

i  1 

4 

I 

3 

'i 
2 

Warren               •< 

Adamson  Bentley 

lacob  Smith         

72 

New  Lisbon....  \ 
I 

Jacob  Drake 

joab  Gaskel 

John  Campbell 

Henrv  Beck 

41 

Zeb.  Rudolph 

John  Rudolph,  Jr 

06 

Palmyra • 

Noah  Davis 

Willicun  Bacon  

49 

... 

84 


LIFE  OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCOTT. 


CHURCHES. 

messengers'  names. 

> 

ll 
IS 
:  .? 

I 

5 
- 1 

I 

11 

3 

34 

Vi 

3 

5 
4 

13 

3 

1 

I 

2 

I 

3 
T4 

^1 
\\ 

2 
2 

I 

13 

2 

I 

I 
4 

i 

Jesse  Hall 

Hubbard ] 

Walter  Clark 

37 

Braceville 

Yellow  Creek...  \ 

Achor 

Canfield ] 

Wellsburgh 

Jacob  Osborn 

Henry  Harsh 

William  McGavern 

Thomas  Ray 

Simon  Kelley 

36 

30 
70 

John  Jackman 

Myron  Sackett 

Alexander  Campbell... 

28 

S6 

David  Gaskill 

Salem \ 

Arthur  Hayden 

Anrnn    Hisp                    

34 

No  intelligence. 

Samuel  Hayden 

Joseph  Pearce 

No  intelligence. 

Abijah  Sturdevant 

W^illiam  Churchill 

No  intelligence. 

Total 

Younjstown....  j 

Southington 

Randolph 

Sandy 

13 

I492 

3.  Bro.  Jacob  Osborn  was  chosen  Moderator,  and  Bro. 
John  Rudolph,  Jr.,  Clerk. 

4.  The  following  teaching  brethren  being  present  were 
invited  to  a  seat  in  the  council  :  Walter  Scott,  Samuel 
Holmes,  William  West,  and  Sidney  Rigdon. 

5.  Brethren  A.  Campbell,  D.  Gaskill,  and  A.  Bentley 
were  appointed  a  committee  to  arrange  business  for  to- 
morrow.    Adjourned  till  to-morrow  morning,  9  o'clock. 

Bro.  Sidney  Rigdon  delivered  a  discourse  in  the  evening 
on  John,  8th  chapter. 

6.  Met  pursuant  to  adjournment ;  opened  by  praise  and 
prayer. 

7.  Voted  to  take  up  the  request  from  the  Braceville 
church,  which  is  as  follows:  ''We  wish  that  this  Associa- 
tion may  take  into  serious  consideration  the  peculiar  situa- 


MINUTES  OF  rilE  ASSOCIATION.  85 

tion  of  the  churches  of  this  Association ;  and  if  it  could 
be  a  possible  thing  for  an  evangelical  preacher  to  be  em- 
ployed to  travel  and  teach  among  the  churches,  we  think 
that  a  blessing  would  follow." 

8.  Voted  that  a  person  be  appointed  for  the  above 
purpose. 

9.  Invited  Bros.  J.  Merrill,  J.  Secrest,  and  Joseph  Gas- 
ton to  a  seat  with  us. 

10.  Voted  that  all  the  teachers  of  Christianity  present 
be  a  committee  to  nominate  a  person  to  travel  and  labor 
among  the  churches,  and  to  suggest  a  plan  for  the  support 
of  the  person  so  appointed. 

11.  That  Bro.  A.  Campbell  write  the  corresponding 
letter  for  this  year. 

12.  That  a  collection  of  $6.91  be  paid  over  to  Bro.  A. 
Campbell,  for  the  printing  and  distribution  of  the  Minutes 
of  the  Association. 

13.  That  Bro.  William  West  be  continued  Correspond- 
ing Secretary,  and  Bro.  John  Rudolph  Recording  Secre- 
tary, and  Bro.  Joab  Gaskel  Treasurer.    . 

14.  That  our  next  Association  be  held  at  Warren,  Trum- 
bull County,  Ohio,  on  Friday  preceding  the  last  Lord's 
day  in  x\ugust ;  public  worship  to  commence  at  i  o'clock 
p.   M. 

15.  That  a  circular  letter  be  written  on  the  subject  of 
itinerant  preaching  for  the  next  Association  by  Bro.  A. 
Campbell. 

16.  That  Bro.  A.  Campbell  deliver  the  introductory  dis- 
course for  next  year,  and  in  case  of  failure  Bro.  Jacob 
Osborne. 

17.  The  committee  to  which  was  referred  the  nomina- 
tion of  a  person  to  labor  among  the  churches,  and  to  rec- 
ommend a  plan  for  his  support,  reported  as  follows:  "  ist. 
That  Bro.  Walter  Scott  is  a  suitable  person  for  the  task, 
and    that  he   is  willing,  provided    the  Association  concur 


S6  LIFE  OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCOTT. 

in  his  appointment,  to  devote  his  whole  energies  to  the 
work.  2d.  That  voluntary  and  liberal  contributions  be 
recommended  to  the  churches  for  creating  a  fund  for  his 
support.  3d.  That  at  the  discretion  of  Bro.  Scott,  as  far  as 
respects  time  and  place,  four  quarterly  meetings  for  public 
worship  and  edification,  be  held  in  the  bounds  of  this  Asso- 
ciation this  year,  and  that  at  all  those  meetings  such  contri- 
butions as  have  been  made  in  the  churches  in  those  vicin- 
ities be  passed  over  to  Bro.  Scott,  and  an  account  of  the 
same  to  be  produced  at  the  next  Association ;  also  that  at 
any  time  and  in  any  church,  when  and  where  Bro.  Scott 
may  be  laboring,  any  contributions  made  to  him  shall  be 
accounted  for  to  the  next  Association." 

18.  Voted  that  the  above  report,  in  all  its  items,  be 
adopted.  Bro.  Secrest  delivered  a  discourse  in  the  evening 
from  John's  testimony,  3d  chapter.  Met  on  Lord's  day,  at 
sunrise  in  the  Baptist  meeting-house,  for  prayer  and  praise, 
and  continued  till  8  o'clock.  Met  again  in  the  Presbyterian 
meeting-house,  Lisbon,  where,  after  public  worship,  Bro. 
Jacob  Osborne  delivered  a  discourse  on  Hebrews,  ist  chap. 
He  was  followed  by  Bro.  A.  Campbell,  who  delivered  a 
discourse  on  Good  Works,  predicated  upon  the  last  para- 
grapli  of  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount  and  the  conclusion  of 
Matthew,  25th  chapter.  A  collection  of  ^11.75  was  then 
lifted  for  the  purposes  specified  in  the  report  of  the  Com- 
mittee. After  a  recess  of  a  few  minutes  and  the  immer- 
sion of  some  disciples  in  the  creek,  the  brethren  met  at 
the  Baptist  meeting-house  and  broke  bread,  after  which 
they  dispersed,  much  comforted  and  edified  by  the  exer- 
cises of  the  day. 

Jacob  Osborn,  Moderator. 

John  Rudolph,  Jun.,  Clerk. 

John  Rudolph, 

Clerk  for  the  Association. 


CHOSEN  AS  EVANGELIST.  Zj 

In  regard  to  the  proceedings  of  the  Association,  as 
given  above,  it  will  be  observed  that  Mr.  Scott  was 
again  invited  to  a  seat.  This  might  have  been  ex- 
pected ;  but  is  it  not  very  remarkable  that  when  a  com- 
mittee was  appointed  composed  of  preachers  who  were 
members  of  the  Association,  and  also  of  those  who 
were  not,  to  choose  an  evangelist  to  travel  among  the 
churches,  that  one  should  be  selected  who  was  not  a 
member  of  the  body,  and  who  neither  agreed  in  his 
religious  views  with  many  of  those  who  selected  him 
for  so  important  a  task,  nor  took  any  pains  to  conceal 
this  difference  ?  Nor  could  the  choice  have  been 
made  on  the  ground  of  peculiar  fitness  in  consequence 
of  great  success  in  the  evangelical  field,  or  greatness 
of  reputation  ;  it  was  not  a  matter  of  necessity — a 
choice  of  a  giant  from  among  pigmies.  Bentley  was 
known  and  esteemed  throughout  the  entire  Associa- 
tion ;  Campbell's  great  and  admirable  talents  were  Vv^ell 
known  and  acknowledged  ;  Rigdon  had  the  reputa- 
tion of  an  orator  ;  Jacob  Osborn  gave  high  promise 
of  future  usefulness  ;  Secrest  and  Gaston  were  popu- 
lar and  successful  evangelists  ;  and  yet  by  the  voices 
of  all  these,  and  others  of  less  note,  Walter  Scott  was 
unanimously  chosen  for  the  most  important  work  that 
the  Association  had  ever  taken  in  hand. 

He  proved  to  be,  however,  as  we  shall  see,  the  man 
of  all  others  for  the  place  and  the  work — a  work  which 
neither  he  nor  they  who  called  him  to  it  had  the  re- 
motest idea  that  it  would  result,  as  it  did,  in  the  disso- 
lution of  the  Association  and  the  casting  away  of 
creeds  and  the  unexampled  spread  of  clearer  and 
purer  view  of  the  gospel — nay,  a  return  to  it  in  its 
primitive  beauty  and  simplicity. 


8S  LIFE   Ob  ELDER   WALTER  SCOTT. 

Having  now  before  us "  the  man  and  his  work,  this 
seems  a  fitting  place  to  introduce  a  notice  of  the 
field  in  which  he  was  providentially  called  to  labor — 
namely,  the  bounds  of  the  Mahoning  Association. 
This  body  was  formed  at  Nelson,  Portage  County, 
Ohio,  on  the  30th  of  August,  1820,  and  was  composed 
of  some  ten  Baptist  churches.  Its  belief  was  set 
forth  in  ten  articles  of  faith,  in  which  a  belief  in  the 
Trinity,  eternal  and  personal  election  to  holiness, 
total  depravity,  particular  redemption,  and  the  irre- 
sistible power  of  the  Holy  Spirit  in  conversion  was 
insisted  on.  Each  church  in  the  body  had  its  own 
articles  of  faith,  some  of  them  equaling  in  number 
those  of  the  Association,  others  with  as  many  as 
eighteen  or  nineteen  articles,  and  still  others  with  but 
eight  or  nine.  In  several  of  these  church  creeds, 
which  all  affirmed  the  doctrine  of  the  Association, 
there  were  to  be  found  additional  articles  ;  as,  for  in- 
stance, the  following :  "  We  believe  in  the  laying  on 
of  hands  on  baptized  believers  to  be  an  apostolic 
practice,  and  as  such  we  observe  it ;"  and  some,  in 
addition  to  the  articles  common  to  all  the  rest,  had 
one  which  read  thus :  "  In  short,  we  receive  a  book 
called  the  Baptist  Confession  of  Faith,  adopted  by  the 
Philadelphia  Association,  Sept.  25th,  1742,  as  gener- 
ally expressive  of  our  views  of  the  great  doctrines  of 
revealed  religion."  One  church  says  of  the  same 
Confession  of  Faith :  "  We  agree  to  adopt  it ;"  and 
another,  after  enumerating  various  points  of  doctrine, 
concludes  by  saying:  "For  further  particulars  we 
refer  to  the  Baptist  Confession  of  Faith." 

The  number  of  churches  in  the  Association  at  first 
was  ten,  which   was   afterwards   increased   to  about 


RELIGIOUS  APATHY.  89 

double  that  number,  seventeen  appearing  on  the  list  at 
the  meeting  at  New  Lisbon  in  1827.  These  churches 
were  mainly  in  that  portion  of  Eastern  Ohio  lying 
adjacent  to  Pennsylvania  and  between  the  Ohio  River 
and  Lake  Erie,  called  the  Western  Reserve,  which 
was  mainly  peopled  by  settlers  from  the  New  England 
States.  One  of  the  churches  was  in  Virginia — that 
of  Wellsburgh. 

The  name  of  Adamson  Bentley,  who  was  the  lead- 
ing man  in  the  Association,  appears  in  the  Minutes 
of  every  meeting  from  its  formation  to  its  close  ;  that 
of  Alexander  Campbell  does  not  appear  until  1825. 
Walter  Scott's  name  appears  in  the  Minutes  for  1826 
and  1827  simply  as  a  teaching  brother.  Although 
there  were  within  the  bounds  of  the  Association 
some  pious  and  devoted  men,  such  as  Bentley,  Os- 
borne, the  Haydens,  and  others  ;  still,  in  consequence 
of  their  creeds,  by  which  they  were  cramped  and 
confined,  and  the  chilling  influence  of  the  ultra  Cal- 
vinistic  views  then  prevalent,  religion  was  at  an  ex- 
tremely low  ebb.  The  monthly  meetings  had  become 
cold  and  formal  gatherings,  the  reading  of  church 
constitution,  covenant,  and  articles  of  faith — for  some 
had  all  these — had,  in  a  measure,  usurped  the  place 
of  reading  the  Scriptures,  of  prayer  and  praise: 
There  was  but  little  growth  in  true  piety,  little  enjoy- 
ment, and  but  few  conversions.  At  the  Association 
in  1827  fifteen  churches  reported  only  thirty-four  bap- 
tisms, and  of  these  eleven  were  at  Wellsburgh,  from 
which  church  A.  Campbell  was  the  delegate.  The 
report  of  the  previous  year  was  still  worse,  only 
eighteen   baptisms   within   the  bounds  of  seventeen 


90  LIFE  OF  ELDER  WALTER  SCOTT. 

V 

churches,  while  the  exclusions  and  deaths  for  the 
same  period  were  twenty-three. 

In  1825  seventeen  churches  reported  but  sixteen 
baptisms.  The  greatest  number  reported  in  any  one 
year  was  one  hundred  and  three,  from  ten  churches, 
of  which  fifty-six,  or  more  than  one-half  of  the  entire 
number,  was  at  Warren,  under  the  labors  of  Elder 
A.  Bentley,  whose  love  for  dying  men  made  him 
often  overstep  the  narrow  limits  of  his  creed. 

Great  stress  was  in  those  days  placed  upon  what 
was  called  a  religious  experience — more  reliance,  in- 
deed, upon  the  feelings  and  mental  exercises  of  the 
penitent  than  upon  a  change  of  conduct  and  obedience 
to  the  plain  teachings  of  the  Word  of  God  ;  indeed,  it 
was  by  no  means  uncommon  to  hear  the  Word  of  God 
spoken  of  as  powerless  and  inefficient ;  but  any  un- 
usual agitation  of  the  feelings  was  regarded  as  the 
direct  influence  of  the  Holy  Spirit  upon  the  sinner's 
heart.  Dreams  and  visions  of  a  grand  or  gloomy 
nature  were  thought  to  indicate  the  anger  or  favor 
of  God,  and  to  persons  of  warm  and  lively  imagina- 
tions these  were  seldom  wanting ;  and  those  who 
could  relate  the  most  wonderful  stories  in  regard  to 
the  soul's  enjoyments  or  conflicts  were  regarded  as 
favorites  of  heaven,  while  the  equally  earnest  and  sin- 
cere, yet  more  sober-minded,  were  thought  to  be  in  a 
far  less  hopeful  condition. 

Were  we  to  regard  as  true  many  of  the  religious 
experiences  of  those  times  we  should  have  frequently 
to  admit  the  appearance  of  Christ  to  earnest  seekers, 
speaking  to  them  words  of  comfort  and  blessing,  as 
when  he  was  here  in  the  flesh,  or  be  horrified  by 
their  encounters   and    conflicts   with   the   Prince  of 


^KKLIGIOrS  EXPEKIEXCES.  9I 

Darkness,  which,  however,  generally  ended  in  his  de- 
feat and  flight.  Much  of  this,  doubtless,  is  to  be  at- 
tributed to  the  fact  that  John  Bunyan  was  more  read 
by  a  certain  class  than  John  the  Evangelist,  and  was 
by  many  Baptists  regarded  as  a  kind  of  patron  saint  ; 
and  the  nearer  their  experiences  resembled  those  of 
the  "Wonderful  Dreamer"  the  safer  did  they  feel, 
and  the  sounder  were  they  in  the  faith. 

A  few  of  the  visions  and  experiences  of  the  famous 
author  of  the  "Pilgrim's  Progress"  will  show  where 
the  type  of  much  of  the  supernatural  in  the  religion 
of  these  times  is  to  be  found.  Once  he  dreamed  he 
saw  the  face  of  the  heavens,  as  it  were,  all  on  fire,  the 
firmament  crackling  and  shivering  as  with  the  noise 
of  mighty  thunders,  and  an  archangel  flew  in  the 
midst  of  heaven  sounding  a  trumpet,  and  a  glorious 
throne  was  seated  in  the  east,  whereon  sat  one  in 
brightness  like  the  morning-star  ;  upon  which  he, 
thinking  it  was  the  end  of  the  world,  fell  upon  his 
knees,  and,  with  uplifted  hands  toward  heaven,  cried : 
**  O  Lord  God,  have  mercy  upon  me  !  what  shall  I  do  1 
the  day  of  judgment  is  come,  and  I  am  not  prepared  !" 
when  immediately  he  heard  a  voice  behind  him  ex- 
ceeding loud,  saying,  "  Repent !"  and  upon  this  he 
awoke,  and  found  it  but  a  dream.  At  another  time 
he  dreamed  that  he  was  in  a  pleasant  place,  jovial 
and  rioting,  banqueting  and  feasting  his  senses,  when 
immediately  a  mighty  earthquake  rent  the  earth,  and 
made  a  wide  gap,  out  of  which  came  bloody  flames, 
and  the  figures  of  men  tossed  up  in  globes  of  fire, 
and  falling  down  again  with  horrible  cries,  shrieks, 
and  execrations,  while  some  devils  that  were  with 
them  laughed  aloud  at  their  torment  ;  and  while  he 


92  LIFE  OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCOJ'T. 

stood  trembling  at  this  sight,  he  thought  the  earth 
sunk  under  him,  and  a  circle  of  flame  inclosed  him  ; 
but  when  he  fancied  he  was  just  at  the  point  to  per- 
ish, one  in  white  shining  raiment  descended  and 
plucked  him  out  of  that  dreadful  place,  while  devils 
cried  after  him  to  leave  him  with  them  to  take  the 
just  punishment  his  sins  had  deserved,  yet  he  escaped 
the  danger,  and  leaped  for  joy,  when  he  awoke  and 
found  it  but  a  dream.  Again,  when  playing  ball  on 
•the  Sabbath,  a  voice  suddenly  came  from  heaven  into 
his  soul,  which  said,  "  Wilt  thou  leave  thy  sins  and 
go  to  heaven,  or  have  thy  sins  and  go  to  hell?" 
Greatly  amazed,  he  says  :  "  I  looked  up  to  heaven 
and  was  as  if  I  had  with  the  eyes  of  my  understand- 
ing seen  the  Lord  Jesus  looking  down  upon  me,  as 
being  very  hotly  displeased  with  me,  and  as  if  he 
did  severely  threaten  me  with  some  grievous  punish- 
ment for  my  ungodly  practices." 

At  one  time  he  would  regard  himself  as  having 
committed  a  similar  sin  to  that  of  Peter  when  he  de- 
nied his  Lord,  and  at  another  time  his  sin  was  no  less 
than  that  of  Judas.  He  saw  Christ  on  the  cross,  and 
his  soul  was  in  an  agony  of  sorrow  and  love  at  the 
sight.  He  met  Satan  both  as  a  roaring  lion  and  an 
angel  of  light,  but  sent  him  howling-  away  or  eluded 
the  snares  he  had  set  for  his  soul.  These  and  a 
thousand  other  kindred  instances  had  much  to  do 
with  shaping  the  religious  sentiment  of  the  days  of 
which  we  write,  and  those  who  were  not  under  the 
influence  of  them,  to  a  greater  or  less  degree,  were 
fewer  far  than  those  who  were.  Men  even  of  educa- 
tion and  more  than  ordinary  natural  ability  were 
known,  after  seeking  the  path  to  God  by  reading  the 


.     S/GXS  OF   THE   TIMES.  93 

record  he  had  given  to  men,  to  ask  in  prayer  a  sign 
or  token  of  their  acceptance  ;  and  many,  feeling  that 
God  had  denied  to  them  what  he  seemed  to  have 
granted  so  lavishly  to  others,  gave  up  the  search  in 
hopeless  despair.  One  of  the  most  common  and  at 
the  same  time  one  of  the  most  hopeful  experiences 
was  a  conviction  of  sin  so  deep  and  pungent  that  the 
penitent  was  willing  to  suffer  the  pains  of  eternal 
death  for  the  glory  of  God.  It  was  comparatively 
easy  for  the  sinner  to  believe  and  say  that  he  de- 
served eternal  damnation,  but  only  the  grace  of  God, 
it  was  thought,  was  able  to  render  him  willing  that 
such  a  fate  should  be  his,  that  God  might  be  glorified. 
As  illustrative  of  these  times  we  might  mention 
the  case  of  three  brothers,  two  of  whom  still  survive. 
They  were  all  religiously  disposed,  and  all  brought 
up  under  the  severe  Calvinistic  teaching  then  so 
common  among  the  Baptists.  One  of  them  for  years 
was  desirous  of  the  favor  of  God,  but  for  years  sought 
U  in  vain,  and  was  consoled  by  being  told  that  he 
must  wait  for  God's  good  time  and  way  ;  all  the  time 
of  his  waiting  the  difficulty  was  not  on  his  part  ;  he 
was  willing  and  anxious  to  be  saved,  but,  according  to 
the  doctrine,  the  Lord  was  not.  It  was  a  long  season 
of  doubt,  of  darkness,  and  only  after  years  had  passed 
was  he  able,  after  a  long  struggle  and  earnest  prayer, 
to  draw  some  comfort  from  the  words  of  Scripture  : 
"As  thy  days,  so  shall  thy  strength  be."  The  other 
brother  seemed  signally  favored  ;  he  saw  signs  in  the 
heavens  and  heard  voices  which  he  could  not  doubt 
were  celestial  ;  at  one  time  he  saw  a  coffin  passing 
through  the  air,  and  heard  at  the  same  time  a  voice 
of  solemn  warning.     An  unusually  violent  thunder- 


94  LIFE  OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCOTT. 

storm  he  deemed  was  sent  as  a  special  warning;  and 
while  his  elder  brother  could  scarcely,  after  years  of 
seeking,  find  a  ground  of  hope,  he  had  many  and 
wonderful  proofs  of  the  interest  felt  in  his  salvation, 
in  the  sights  and  sounds  to  which  we  have  referred. 
The  other  brother  was  a  calm,  meditative  man ; 
heaven  did  not  seem  averse  to  his  desires,  as  in  the 
case  of  one  of  his  brothers,  nor  was  he  favored  with 
the  sights  and  sounds  which  alarmed  or  assured  the 
other.  He  carefully  read  the  Scriptures  and  thought 
upon  the  mercies  of  God  :  this  awoke  gratitude  in  his 
heart,  and  he  felt  that  the  goodness  of  God  should 
lead  him  to  repentance,  and  by  such  motives  was  led 
to  dedicate  himself  to  the  service  of  God.  The  won- 
derful experience,  however,  was  generally  regarded  as 
the  best,  and  sights  t-hat  were  never  seen  and  voices 
that  were  never  heard,  which  had  no  existence  save 
in  the  imagination  of  the  individual,  were  stronger 
proofs  of  the  divine  favor  than  a  life  and  walk  in  ac- 
cordance with  the  Word  of  God. 

The  preachers  taught  human  inability,  and  the 
people  generally  gave  full  illustrations  of  their  belief 
of  the  doctrine.  "Wait  and  not  work"  seemed  to  be 
the  favorite  motto,  and  thousands  under  this  delusion 
waited,  alas,  too  long.  There  was,  however,  a  vague 
impression  that  something  was  wrong,  and  a  desire 
to  find  out  that  wrong  and  its  remedy  ;  and  it  was 
this  feeling,  doubtless,  which  led  to  the  desire  to 
have  an  evangelist  in  the  field,  which  resulted  in  the 
unexpected  selection  of  Walter  Scott  for  the  work, 
for  which  his  success  proved  him  to  be  eminently 
qualified. 


FAVORABLE  OMKXS.  95 


CHAPTER    VI. 

Favorable  omens — Articles  of  Faith  of  the  New  Lisbon  church — Scott 
begins  his  work — Preaches  at  New  Lisbon — The  Gospel  offer  ac- 
cepted— Baptism  for  the  remission  of  sins  restored. 

IN  view  of  the  state  of  things  set  forth  in  the  pre- 
ceding chapter,  the  field  of  labor  for  the  newly- 
chosen  evangelist  was  rather  an  unpromising  one  ; 
but  it  must  be  remembered  that  he  himself  had  for 
years  been  perplexed  by  the  doctrinal  difficulties 
prevailing  among  the  people  to  whom  he  was  sent, 
and  therefore  the  better  prepared  to  show  the  evils 
of  a  partisan  theology,  and  to  point  out  a  more  ex- 
cellent way.  Here  and  there,  however,  in  the  various 
churches  of  the  Association,  were  to  be  found  indi- 
viduals dissatisfied  with  the  popular  orthodoxy  of  the 
times,  who  needed  only  a  leader  in  order  to  throw  off 
the  yoke  of  human  creeds  and  to  unite  upon  the  one 
foundation  on  which  the  followers  of  Christ  first 
stood.  These  were  mainly  the  readers  of  the  "Chris- 
tian Baptist,"  by  whose  bold  and  startling  articles  a 
spirit  of  deep  and  earnest  inquiry  had  been  aroused. 
They  were,  though  few  in  number,  the  thinkers,  the 
earnest  and  honest-hearted  of  the  various  commu- 
nities in  which  they  were  found,  and  their  views,  like 
leaven,  were  slowly  and  silently  making  their  way. 
Indications  of  this  appeared  as  early  as  the  year 
1823.     In  that  year  the  church  at  Hubbard  sent  to 


q6  LIFE  OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCOTT. 

the  Association  the  following  question  :  **  Is  it  the 
opinion  of  this  Association  that  any  church  has  the 
privilege,  according  to  Scripture,  of  holding  com- 
munion without  an  ordained  elder,  or  to  administer 
other  gospel  ordinances  ?"  This  was  answered  in 
the  negative.  In  the  same  year  the  following  was 
submitted  by  the  Nelson  church  :  "  Is  it  an  apostolic 
practice  for  churches  to  have  confessions  of  faith, 
constitutions,  or  any  thing  of  the  like  nature,  except 
the  Scriptures  ?"  This  was  a  blow  aimed  at  the 
practice  of  every  church  in  the  Association.  To 
answer  the  question  in  the  affirmative  would  have 
made  it  necessary  to  prove  what  did  not  admit  of 
proof;  to  have  given  a  negative. answer  would  have 
condemned  what  was  universally  practiced.  Action 
upon  it  was,  therefore,  postponed  until  the  next 
year,  and  even  then  it  was  deemed  most  politic  to 
pass  it  by  in  silence.  In  1824  the  Nelson  church 
had  two  more  questions  to  propose  for  the  consider- 
ation of  the  Association.  They  were:  i.  "Will  this 
Association  hold  in  its  connection  a  church  which 
acknowledges  no  other  rule  of  faith  and  practice  than 
the  Scriptures  .''"  2.  "  In  what  manner  were  mem- 
bers received  into  the  churches  that  were  set  in  order 
by  the  apostles .''"  Plain  as  these  questions  were,  it 
was  deemed  best  to  postpone  the  answers  until  the 
next  year,  at  which  time  the  following  replies  were 
made.  To  the  first :  -"Yes;  on  satisfactory  evidence 
that  they  walk  according  to  this  rule."  To  the  sec- 
ond :  "  Those  who  believed  and  were  baptized  were 
added  to  the  church."  These  answers  were  condem- 
natory of  the  almost  universal  practice  of  the  Baptist 
Churches  at  that  time,  as  they  did  not  recognize  any 


THE   LEAVEN    WORKIXG.  9/ 

church  unless  it  had  articles  of  faith  corresponding  to 
their  own  ;  and  such  was  the  universal  demand  for  an 
"experience,"  that  persons  who  had  been  baptized  on 
a  simple  profession  of  faith  in  the  Lord  Jesus  were 
denied  membership  with  them. 

In  the  same  year,  from  the  New  Lisbon  church 
came  the  query  :  **  Is  it  scriptural  to  license  a  brother 
to  administer  the  Word  and  not  the  ordinances?"  to 
which  the  answer  was :  "  We  have  no  such  custom 
taught  in  the  Scriptures."  Also  the  following  from 
the  Nelson  church  :  *'  Can  Associations,  in  their  pres- 
ent modifications,  find  their  model  in  the  New  Testa- 
ment T  to  which  the  answer  was  :  "  Not  exactly." 

In  1825  the  Youngstown  church  sent  up  to  the 
Association  the  following  :  *'  Was  the  practice  of  the 
primitive  church  an  exact  pattern  to  succeeding  ages  ; 
and  is  every  practice  to  be  receded  from  which  was 
not  the  practice  of  the  primitive  saints  in  their  pe- 
culiar circumstances  .''"  The  reply  was  :  *'  It  is  the 
duty  and  privilege  of  every  Christian  church  to  aim 
at  an  exact  conformity  to  the  example  of  the  churches 
set  in  order  by  the  apostles,  and  to  endeavor  to  imi- 
tate them  in  all  things  imitable  by  them." 

From  the  occurrences  just  related  it  will  be  per- 
ceived that  light  was  increasing,  and  the  questions 
from  the  Nelson  church  especially  indicate  that  there 
were  within  it  the  elements  of  reform  ;  and  that  those 
who  held  the  sentiments  set  forth  in  the  queries  no- 
ticed were  desirous  of  throwing  off  the  creed  which 
they  regarded  as  a  yoke  of  bondage.  But  of  all  the 
churches  in  the  Association,  that  at  Hiram,  Portage 
County,  had  taken  the  most  advanced  ground.  This 
congregation  at  one  time  had  its  church  covenant, 
9 


98  LIFE  OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCOTT. 

church  articles,  church  constitution,  and  in  addi- 
tion to  these  held  to  -the  Philadelphia  Confession  of 
Faith  ;  and  it  was  not  unusual  to  have  all  the  three 
former  read  at  a  single  church  meeting.  Of  this 
dreary  repetition  the  church  clerk  grew  weary,  and 
thought  that  the  time  could  be  better  employed  in 
reading  the  Scriptures.  In  this  view  several  others 
shared  ;  the  matter  was  canvassed  in  nearly  every 
family,  and  at  length,  at  their  monthly  meeting,  in 
August,  1824,  it  was  proposed  to  renounce  all — cov- 
enant, articles,  constitution,  and  the  Philadelphia 
Confession — and  take  the  Word  of  God  as  the  only 
rule  of  faith  and  practice.  A  few  objected,  on  the 
oTound  that  without  their  articles  and  church  cove- 

o 

nant  they  would  be  like  a  barrel  without  hoops,  with 
nothing  to  keep  them  together,  as  without  them 
they  could  neither  receive  nor  exclude  members. 
Two  recent  occurrences,  however,  favored  those  who 
advocated  the  rejection  of  the  offensive  documents  in 
a  practical  way.  A  short  time  before,  two  members 
had  been  received  without  the  laying  on  of  hands 
after  baptism,  which  had  previously  been  regarded 
by  some  as  much  a  gospel  ordinance  as  baptism  or 
the  Lord's  Supper  ;  this  was  done  in  consequence  of 
their  minister,  Rufus  Freeman,  refusing  to  lay  hands 
on  the  converts,  as  he  did  not  regard  it  as  enjoined 
by  the  Scriptures  ;  and  so  the  articles  of  faith  which 
made  it  necessary  had  the  effect  of  making  trouble 
instead  of  keeping  it  away.  A  refractory  member 
had  also  been  brought  up  for  trial,  but  as  the  offense 
was  one  not  specified  in  the  church  articles,  and  she 
beyond  all  question  guilty  and  yet  unwilling  to  con- 
fess her  fault,  she  was  excluded  on  scriptural  ground. 


CREEDS  REJECTED.  99 

An  aged  German  brother,  highly  esteemed  for  his 
godly  life,  but  who  had  never  spoken  in  a  church 
meeting  before,  arose,  and  after  alluding  to  the  above 
case,  said  :  "  Brethren,  that  trial  was  conducted  with- 
out the  use  of  the  church  articles  ;  we  have  found 
that  we  can  exclude  disorderly  members  without 
them  ;  if  the  Bible  is  a  good  rule  by  which  to  exclude 
evil-doers,  it  ought  to  be  a  good  rule  for  right-doers  to 
live  by.     I  think  we  can  do  without  the  articles." 

The  longer  the  discussion  continued  the  stronger 
grew  the  party  which  stood  up  for  the  Bible  alone, 
and  when  the  motion  was  put  that  all  their  church 
rules  and  standards  save  the  Bible  alone  should  be 
renounced,  all  save  three  voted  in  its  favor.  One  of 
the  three,  a  lady,  rose  and  said  she  had  not  voted  on 
the  motion  from  the  fact  that  she  had  never  accepted 
the  documents  which  had  been  rejected,  and  for  that 
reason  could  not  renounce  them  ;  another  gave  a  sim- 
ilar reason,  leaving  only  one  in  the  opposition.  But 
this  was  a  rare  case  in  those  days  ;  most  of  the 
churches  stood  by  the  creed,  articles,  and  covenant, 
and  their  opposers  were  generally  regarded  as  troub- 
lers  of  Israel. 

As  the  articles  of  faith  so  often  referred  to  ex- 
pressed the  views  entertained  at  that  time,  and  were 
given  up  with  reluctance  after  a  severe  struggle,  those 
held  by  the  church  at  New  Lisbon  are  given  below,  as 
generally  expressive  of  the  sentiments  of  the  churches 
in  the  Mahoning  Association  : 

Articles  of  Faith  held  by  the   Baptist   church   at    New 

Lisbon.     Constituted  May  31,  1806: 

Article  I.  We  believe  in  one  God,  the  Creator  of  all 
the  worlds,  the  only  living  and  true  God  ;  a  being  of  in- 


lOO  LIFE  OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCOTT. 

finite  perfections,  whose  essence  can  net  be  comprehended 
by  any  but  himself;  a  most  pure  Spirit,  invisible,  without 
body,  parts,  or  passions,  who  only  hath  immortality,  dwell- 
ing in  the  light  which  no  man  can  approach  unto,  who  is 
infinite  in  all  his  perfections,  and  most  holy  in  and  of 
himself. 

II.  We  believe  that  in  this  being  of  infinite  perfections 
there  are  three  subsistences  or  persons,  the  Father,  Son, 
and  Holy  Spirit,  of  one  substance,  power,  and  eternity; 
each  having  the  whole  divine  essence,  yet  the  essence  or 
nature  undivided.  The  Father  is  of  none  neither  begotten 
nor  proceeding.  The  Son  is  eternally  begotten  of  the 
Father.  The  Holy  Spirit  proceeding  from  the  Father  and 
Son,  all  infinite  and  without  beginning,  therefore  but  one 
God,  who  is  not  to  be  divided  in  nature  and  being,  but 
distinguished  by  several  particular  relative  properties  and 
personal  relations ;  which  doctrine  of  the  Trinity  is  the 
foundation  of  all  our  communion  with  God  and  comfort- 
able dependence  on  him. 

III.  We  believe  the  Old  and  New  Testaments  to  be  the 
Word  of  God,  and  the  only  infallible  rule  of  faith  and 
practice  in  religious  things. 

IV.  We-  beliefe  in  the  eternal  and  particular  election  of 
men  and  angels  to  eternal  glory. 

V.  We  believe  man  to  be  a  fallen  creature  and  in  a  fallen 
state,  and  in  his  present  state  he  is  not  able  in  and  of  him- 
self to  recover  himself  to  a  state  of  happiness. 

VI.  We  believe  in  a  particular  redemption  of  a  definite 
number  of  persons  to  eternal  life  by  the  death  of  Christ. 

VII.  We  believe  in  a  free  justification  by  the  righteous- 
ness of  Christ  imputed,  and  efficacious  grace  in  regenera- 
tion, and  the  final  perseverance  of  the  saints  in  grace  to 
the  end. 

VIII.  We  believe  in  the  resurrection  of  the  dead,  both 
of  the  righteous  and  ungodly,  and  the  general  judgment 


THE  ARTICLES  ABAiVDOAED.  10 1 

to  come,  and  that  the  saints  shall  forever  enjoy  the  glory 
of  heaven,  and  that  the  unrighteous  shall  be  sent  to  eternal 
misery  to  remain  forever  without  hope  or  deliverance. 

IX.  We  believe  that  baptism  is  an  ordinance  of  the 
New  Testament,  and  that  believers  are  the  only  subjects  of 
it,  and  that  this  ordinance  ought  to  be  administered  by 
dipping  the  body  all  over  in  water. 

X.  We  believe  that  laying  on  of  the  hands  (on  baptized 
believers  as  such)  is  an  ordinance  of  the  gospel. 

XI.  We  believe  that  the  Lord's  Supper  is  an  ordinance 
of  the  gospel  church. 

Some  of  the  churches  had  more  and  some  fewer 
articles  than  the  above,  but  these  will  serve  as  a  fair 
specimen  of  what  all  the  Baptist  churches  in  that 
region  regarded  as  a  necessity;  and  their  fate -was 
one  which  finally  overtook  them  all. 

When  the  principles  of  the  Reformation  had  been 
imbibed  by  some  members  of  that  congregation  ;  at 
one  of  their  monthly  meetings,  after  the  reading  of 
the  articles,  one  of  the  brethren  asked  that  the  third 
article  be  read  again,  which  was  done  ;  it  reads  as 
follows  :  "We  believe  the  Old  and  New  Testaments 
to  be  the  Word  of  God,  and  the  only  infallible  rule 
of  faith  and  practice  in  religious  things."  He  then 
asked  :  *'  Brethren,  do  we  believe  that  article .''"  "Cer- 
tainly, most  certainly,"  was  the  reply  from  several. 
**  What,  then,"  he  continued,  "  is  the  use  of  the  rest 
if  the  article  just  read  be  true,  and  the  Word  of  God 
is  the  only  infallible  rule  of  faith  and  practice  V 
Another  brother  who  saw  the  point,  rose  and  moved 
that  the  articles  of  faith  be  abandoned  ;  some,  how- 
ever, insisted  that  time  for  reflection  was  needed,  and 
were  in  favor  of  delaying  the  vote   until   the  next 


I02  LIFE  OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCOTT. 

monthly  meeting.  The  next  meeting  came,  but  the 
articles  were  not  read  as  usual,  nor  was  the  matter 
called  up  then  or  ever  after. 

From  this  somewhat  long  but  necessary  digression 
it  will  be  seen  that,  while  there  were  many  things 
calculated  to  discourage  the  most  sanguine,  there 
were  at  the  same  time  some  hopeful  indications  ;  the 
light  was  dawning,  which  soon  brightened  into  a 
glorious  day. 

But  to  return  to  the  newly-appointed  evangelist. 
No  one,  perhaps,  was  as  much  surprised  at  his  ap- 
pointment as  himself.  He  was  at  that  time  engaged 
in  teaching  an  academy,  and  was  making  an  arrange- 
ment to  publish  a  new  paper,  to  be  called  "  The  Mil- 
lennial Herald  ;"  he  was  preaching  also  for  a  small 
congregation  in  Steubenville  :  and  wife  and  children 
demanded  his  care  ;  but  the  call  to  the  new  field  of 
labor  so  unexpected  and  providential  he  regarded  as 
imperative,  and  dropping  the  bitterest  tears  he  ever 
shed  over  his  infant  household,  and  abandoning  all 
his  other  employments  and  projects,  he  threw  him- 
self heart  and  soul  into  the  work  before  him. 

And  now  we  -come  to  the  most  eventful  period  in 
the  life  of  Walter  Scott.  He  had  studied  the  Word 
of  God  long,  earnestly,  faithfully,  and  prayerfully.  He 
had  drunk  into  its  spirit,  and  had  become  so  fully 
convinced  of  the  weakness  and  inefficiency  of  modern 
systems,  so  sick  of  sectarian  bigotry  and  party  strife, 
that  he  resolved  to  try  the  bold  and  novel  experi- 
ment of  preaching  the  gospel  according  to  the  New 
Testament  model,  as  set  forth  in  the  labors  of  the 
holy  men  to  whom  Jesus  had  given  the  message  of 
salvation  to  be  heralded  to  a  perishing  world.     He 


PREACfllXG   THE  PRIMITIVE  GOSPEL.  IO3 

made -his  first  efforts  beyond  the  bounds  of  the  As- 
sociation, and  though  a  nobler  purpose  was  never 
formed,  the  very  novelty  of  his  course  almost  created, 
in  his  own  mind,  a  doubt  of  its  propriety  ;  and  the 
great  issue  at  stake,  and  anxiety  as  to  the  result 
created  at  times  misgivings  and  fears.  To  his  hearers 
his  preaching  was  like  the  proclamation  of  a  new 
religion  ;  so  different  did  it  seem  from  the  orthodoxy 
of  the  day,  that  they  regarded  the  preacher  as  an 
amiable,  but  deluded,  enthusiast,  and  he  excited 
wonder,  pity,  and  even  scorn.  His  efforts,  however, 
were  not  wholly  fruitless  ;  with  every  discourse  his 
own  convictions  became  stronger,  and  he  felt  assured 
that  he  had  found  the  true  path  ;  and  instead  of 
yielding  to  discouragement  under  what  seemed  to  be 
failures,  he  said  to  himself,  this  way  is  of  God,  and 
ought  to  succeed,  and  with  his  help  it  shall  ;  and  his 
courage  and  zeal  rose  with  the  difficulties  he  encoun- 
tered until  his  labors  were  crowned  with  success. 

The  scene  of  his  first  practical  and  successful  ex- 
hibition of  the  gospel,  as  preached  in  primitive  times, 
was  at  New  Lisbon,  Columbiana  County,  Ohio,  the 
place  at  which  he  was  appointed  as  traveling  evange- 
list a  few  months  before.  The  Baptist  Church  at  that 
place  had  become  acquainted  with  him  at  the  As- 
sociation, and  received  with  pleasure  an  appointment 
from  him  for  a  series  of  discourses  on  the  ancient 
gospel  ;  and  the  citizens  were  glad  to  have  a  visit 
from  the  eloquent  stranger.  On  the  first  Sunday 
after  his  arrival  every  seat  in  the  meeting-house  was 
filled  at  an  early  hour  ;  soon  every  foot  of  standing 
room  was  occupied,  and  the  doorway  blocked  up  by 
an  eager  throng  ;  and,  inspired  by  the  interest  which 


104  LIFE  OF  ELDER  WALTER  SCOTT. 

prevailed,  the  preacher  began.  His  theme  was  the 
confession  of  Peter,  Matt,  xvi :  i6  :  "Thou  art  the 
Christ,  the  Son  of  the  living  God,"  and  the  promise 
which  grew  out  of  it,  that  he  should  have  intrusted 
to  him  the  keys  of  the  kingdom  of  heaven.  The 
declaration  of  Peter  was  a  theme  upon  which  he  had 
thought  for  years  ;  it  was  a  fact  which  he  regarded 
the  four  gospels  as  written  to  establish  ;  to  which 
type  and  prophecy  had  pointed  in  all  the  ages  gone 
by  ;  which  the  Eternal  Father  had  announced  from 
heaven  when  Jesus  came  up  from  the  waters  of  Jor- 
dan and  the  Spirit  descended  and  abode  upon  him, 
and  which  was  repeated  again  amid  the  awful  gran- 
deur and  solemnity  of  th^  transfiguration  scene.  He 
then  proceeded  to  show  that  the  foundation  truth  of 
Christianity  was  the  divine  nature  of  the  Lord  Jesus — 
the  central  truth  around  which  all  others  revolved, 
and  from  which  they  derived  their  efficacy  and  im- 
portance— and  that  the  belief  of  it  was  calculated  to 
produce  such  love  in  the  heart  of  him  who  believed 
it  as  would  lead  him  to  true  obedience  to  the  object 
of  his  faith  and  love.  To  show  how  that  faith  and 
love  were  to  be  manifested,  he  quoted  the  language 
of  the  great  commission,  and  called  attention  to  the 
fact  that  Jesus  had  taught  his  apostles  "that  repent- 
ance and  remission  of  sins  should  be  preached  in  his 
name  among  all  nations,  beginning  at  Jerusalem." 
He  then  led  his  hearers  to  Jerusalem  on  the  memora- 
ble Pentecost,  and  bade  them  listen  to  an  authorita- 
tive announcement  of  the  law  of  Christ,  now  to  be 
made  known  for  the  first  time,  by  the  same  Peter  to 
whom  Christ  had  promised  to  give  the  keys  of  the 
kingdom  of  heaven,  which  he  represented  as  meaning 


THE  BIBLE  MEANS  WHAT  IT  SA  YS.  I05 

the  conditions  upon  which  the  guilty  might  iind  par- 
don at  the  hands  of  the  risen,  ascended,  and  glorified 
Son  of  God,  and  enter  his  kingdom. 

After  a  rapid  yet  graphic  review  of  Peter's  discourse, 
he  pointed  out  its  effect  on  those  that  heard  him,  and 
bade  them  mark  the  inquiry  which  a  deep  conviction 
of  the  truth  they  had  heard  forced  from  the  lips  of 
the  heart-pierced  multitudes,  who,  in  their  agony  at 
the  discovery  that  they  had  put  to  death  the  Son  of 
God,  their  own  long-expected  Messiah,  "  cried  out. 
Men  and  brethren,  what  shall  we  do  ?"  and  then,  with 
flashing  eye  and  impassioned  manner,  as  if  he  fully 
realized  that  he  was  but  re-echoing  the  words  of 
one  who  spake  as  the  Spirit  gave  him  utterance, 
he  gave  the  reply,  "  Repent,  and  be  baptized,  every 
one  of  you,  in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ,  for  the  remis- 
sion of  sins,  and  ye  shall  receive  the  gift  of  the  Holy 
Spirit."  He  then,  with  great  force  and  power,  made 
his  application  ;  he  insisted  that  the  conditions  were 
unchanged,  that  the  Word  of  God  meant  what  it  said, 
and  that  to  receive  and  obey  it  was  to  obey  God  and 
to  imitate  the  example  of  those  who,  under  the  preach- 
ing of  the  apostles,  gladly  accepted  the  gospel  mes- 
sage. His  discourse  was  long,  but  his  hearers  marked 
not  the  flight  of  time  ;  the  Baptists  forgot,  in  admi- 
ration of  its  scriptural  beauty  and  simplicity,  that  it 
was  contrary  to  much  in  their  own  teaching  and  prac- 
tice ;  some  of  them  who  had  been,  in  a  measure,  en- 
lightened before,  rejoiced  in  the  truth  the  moment 
they  perceived  it  ;  and  to  others,  who  had  long  been 
perplexed  by  the  difficulties  and  contradictions  of  the 
discordant  views  of  the  day,  it  was  like  light  to  weary 
travelers  long  benighted  and  lost. 


I06  LIFE  OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCOTT. 

The  man  of  all  others,  however,  in  that  community 
who  would  most  have  delighted  in  and  gladly  ac- 
cepted those  views,  so  old  and  yet  so  new,  was  not 
there,  although  almost  in  hearing  of  the  preacher, 
who,  with  such  eloquence  and  power,  was  setting 
forth  the  primitive  gospel.  This  was  Wm.  Amend, 
a  pious.  God-fearing  man,  a  member  of  the  Presby- 
terian Church,  and  regarded  by  his  neighbors  as  an 
"  Israelite  indeed."  He  had  for  some  time  enter- 
tained the  same  views  as  those  Mr.  Scott  was  then 
preaching  in  that  place  for  the  first  time,  but  was  not 
aware  that  any  one. agreed  with  him.  He  was  under 
the  impression  that  all  the  churches — his  own  among 
the  number — had  departed  from  the  plain  teachings 
of  the  Word  of  God.  He  had  discovered,  some  time 
before,  that  infant  baptism  was  not  taught  in  the 
Bible,  and,  consequently,  that  he  was  not  a  baptized 
man  ;  the  mode  of  baptism  seemed  also  to  him  to 
have  been  changed,  and  he  sought  his  pastor,  and 
asked  to  be  immersed.  He  endeavored  to  convince 
him  that  he  was  wrong,  but  finding  that  he  could  not 
be  turned  from  his  purpose,  he  proposed  to  immerse 
him  privately,  lest  others  of  his  flock  might  be  un- 
settled in  their  minds  by  his  doing  so,  and  closed  by 
saying  that  baptism  was  not  essential  to  salvation. 
Mr.  Amend  regarded  every  thing  that  Christ  had  or- 
dained as  being  essential,  and  replied  that  he  should 
not  immerse  him  at  all  ;  that  he  would  wait  until  he 
found  a  man  who  believed  the  gospel,  and  who  could, 
without  any  scruple,  administer  the  ordinance  as  he 
conceived  it  to  be  taught  in  the  New  Testament. 

He  was  invited  a  day  or  two  before  to  hear  Mr.  Scott, 
but  knowing  nothing  of  his  views,  he  supposed  that 


THE  GOSPEL   OFFER  ACCEPTED.  IO7 

he  preached  much  as  others  did,  but  agreed  to  go  and 
hear  him.  It  was  near  the  close  of  the  services  when 
he  reached  the  Baptist  church  and  joined  the  crowd 
at  the  door,  who  were  unable  to  get  into  the  house. 
The  first  sentence  he  heard  aroused  and  excited  him  ; 
it  sounded  like  that  gospel  which  he  had  read  with 
such  interest  at  home,  but  never  had  heard  from  the 
pulpit  before.  He  now  felt  a  great  anxiety  to  see  the 
man  who  was  speaking  so  much  like  the  oracles  of 
God,  and  pressed  through  the  throng  into  the  house. 
Mr.  Dibble,  the  clerk  of  the  church,  saw  him  enter, 
and  knowing  that  he  had  been  seeking  and  longing  to 
find  a  man  who  would  preach  as  the  Word  of  God 
read,  thought  within  himself,  "  Had  Mr.  Amend  been 
here  during  all  this  discourse  I  feel  sure  he  would 
have  found  what  he  has  so  long  sought  in  vain.  I 
wish  the  preacher  would  repeat  what  he  said  before 
he  came  in."  Greatly  to  his  surprise  the  preacher 
did  give  a  brief  review  of  the  various  points 
of  his  discourse,  insisting  that  the  Word  of  God 
meant  what  it  said,  and  urging  his  hearers  to  trust 
that  Word  implicitly.  He  rehearsed  again  the  Jeru- 
salem scene,  called  attention  to  the  earnest,  anxious 
cry  of  the  multitude,  and  the  comforting  reply  of  the 
apostle,  "  Repent,  and  be  baptized,  every  one  of  you, 
in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ,  for  the  remission  of  sins, 
and  ye  shall  receive  th6  gift  of  the  Holy  Ghost."  He 
invited  any  one  present  who  believed  with  all  his 
heart,  to  yield  to  the  terms  proposed  in  the  words  of 
the  apostle,  and  show  by  a  willing  obedience  his  trust 
in  the  Lord  of  life  and  glory.  Mr.  Amend  pressed 
his  way  through  the  crowd  to  the  preacher  and  made 
known  his  purpose  ;  made  a  public  declaration  of  his 


I08  LIFE  OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCOTT. 

belief  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  and  his  wiUingness  to 
obey  him,  and,  on  the  same  day,  in  a  beautiful,  clear 
stream  which  flows  on  the  southern  border  of  the 
town,  in  the  presence  of  a  great  multitude,  he  was 
baptized  in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ  for  the  remis- 
sion of  sins. 

This  event,  which  forms  an  era  in  the  religious  his- 
tory of  the  times,  took  place  on  the  i8th  of  Nov^em- 
ber,  1827,  and  Mr.  Amend  was,  beyond  all  question, 
the  first  person  in  modern  times  who  received  the 
ordinance  of  baptism  in  perfect  accordance  with 
apostolic  teaching  and  usage. 


GREAT  EXCITEMENT,  iqq 


CHAPTER    VII. 


Great  excitement — Mr.  Amend's  letter — Assailed  by  preachers — Wesley's 
experience — Testimony  of  the  church  standards. 

THE  baptism  of  Mr.  Amend  occasioned  no  small 
stir  in  the  community.  No  one  had  ever  seen 
any  thing  in  all  respects  like  it,  and  yet  it  seemed  to 
correspond  so  perfectly  with  the"  teachings  and  prac- 
tice of  the  apostles  that  few  could  fail  to  see  the  re- 
semblance. Mr.  Scott  continued  his  labors  during 
the  following  week,  and  many  others  who  had  been 
unable  to  accept  the  popular  teaching  of  the  day  had 
their  attention  arrested  by  a  gospel  which  they  could 
understand,  and  with  the  conditions  of  which  they 
could  comply,  and  the  result  was,  that  by  the  next 
Lord's  day  fifteen  others  followed  the  example  of  Mr. 
Amend  by  publicly  confessing  their  faith  in  Jesus  as 
the  Son  of  God  and  being  immersed. 

Of  course,  much  opposition  was  aroused.  One 
man  went  so  far  as  to  threaten  to  shoot  Mr.  Scott  if 
he  should  baptize  his  mother,  who  had  sought  bap- 
tism at  his  hands  ;  but  threats  ^nd  scoffs  only  served 
to  increase  the  zeal  of  the  preacher  ;  and  it  was  found, 
moreover,  that  all  the  converts  were  able  to  give  such 
reasons  for  the  course  they  had  taken,  that  no  one 
that  admitted  the  Bible  to  be  true  could  gainsay. 
Another  very  happy  result  was,  that  nearly  the  whole 
community  began  to  search  the  Scriptures,  many  in 


no  LIFE  OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCOTT. 

the  spirit  of  the  Bercans,  to  see  whether  these  things 
were  so  ;  others  with  no  higher  object  than  to  find 
objections  to  the  new  doctrine,  and  many  of  these 
were  forced  to  the  conclusion  that  if  it  were  false  the 
Bible  could  not  be  true,  as  the  chief  feature  of  the 
new  doctrine  was  that  the  preacher  could  tell  every 
honest  inquirer  his  duty  in  the  very  language  of  Holy 
Writ. 

It  was  a  most  fortunate  circumstance,  too,  that 
the  first  one  to  come  out  in  favor  of  the  new  teach- 
ing was  a  man  of  undoubted  integrity,  and  of 
more  than  ordinary  intelligence  and  remarkable  for 
his  scriptural  knowledge,  which  was  far  beyond  that 
of  most  men  in  his  condition  of  life.  He  had  not 
hastily  adopted  the.  views  of  the  preacher  as  soon  as 
presented,  but,  on  the  contrary,  he  had  reached  the 
same  conclusions  before  hearing  him,  from  a  careful 
study  of  the  Word  of  God ;  and  he  knew  not  until  he- 
heard  Mr.  Scott  that  there  was  another  man  on  earth 
who  held  views  similar  to  his  own.  Indeed,  he  could 
not  strictly  be  called  a  convert  to  the  views  of  Mr. 
Scott ;  he  had  long  held  them,  and  was  prepared  for 
immediate  obedience  to  the  law  of  Christ  as  soon  as 
the  opportunity  was  given.  With  this  humble.  God- 
fearing man  there  is  now  connected  an  interest  that 
is  historic  ;  he  was  the  first  to  afford  an  example  of 
strict  conformity  to  the  design  of  an  ordinance  of  the 
church  of  Jesus,  which  had  so  long  been  lost  sight 
of  as  to  become  almost  meaningless.  In  him  we  see 
that  ordinance  restored  to  the  place  designed  for  it 
by  its  divine  Author — restored,  we  can  not  doubt, 
beyond  the  possibility  of  ever  being  perverted  or  for- 
gotten again. 


MR.  AMEND' S  LETTER.  Ill 

Some  years  after  this  event,  Mr.  Scott  was  called 
upon  to  give  the  circumstances  which  attended  this 
restoration  of  the  ordinance^  of  baptism  to  its  primi- 
tive place ;  with  rare  wisdom  he  called  upon  Mr. 
Amend  to  relate  the  circumstances  which  led  to  his 
baptism.  He  introduces  Mr.  Amend's  letter  with 
the  following  remarks  : 


"Dear  Sir:  The  republication  of  the  gospel  in  the 
style  and  terms  of  the  apostles  was  attended  with  so  extraor- 
dinary an  excitement  as  to  cause  us  to  forget  and  some- 
times overlook  matters  and  things,  which,  on  common  oc- 
casions, would  have  been  accounted  very  singular. 

"  It  was  thought,  sir,  it  might  minister  to  your  pleasure 
to  read  a  letter  from  a  person  who  first  obeyed  the  faith  as 
now  preached  in  the  Reformation.  It  is  inserted  here  ac- 
cordingly. After  vexations  not  to  be  mentioned,  it  was 
j-esolved  to  make  a  draft  upon  the  audience,  that  it  might 
be  known  why  the  preacher  spoke  and  wherefore  they  came 
to  hear.  Accordingly,  bursting  away  from  prejudices  and 
feelings  almost  as  strong  as  death,  and  thinking  of  nothing 
but  the  restoration  of  the  gospel,  it  was  proposed  to  ascer- 
tain immediately  who  would  obey  God  and  who  would  not. 
The  confusion  of  all,  the  preacher  not  excepted,  was  in- 
describable. A  person  whom  I  had  seen  come  into  the 
meeting-house  about  fifteen  minutes  before  the  end  of  the 
discourse  came  forward.  This,  as  often  as  I  thought  of  it, 
had  always  appeared  to  me  wholly  unaccountable,  for  it 
was  most  certain  the  man  could  not  have  been  converted 
to  Christianity  by  any  thing  which  he  heard  during  the 
few  minutes  he  was  present.  His  letter  explains  the  mat- 
ter, and  will  enable  you,  sir,  to  judge  whether  this  whole 
business,  as  well  on  the  side  of  the  hearer  as  on  the  side 
of  the  preacher,  is  not  resolvable  into  the  good  providence 


112  LIFE  OF  ELDER  WALTER  SCOTT. 

of  our  Heavenly  Father,  to  whom   be  the   glory  through 
Jesus  Christ : 

**  Beloved  Bro.  Scott:  I  received  your  letter  of  the 
2ist,  and  was  happy  to  hear  you  were  well;  myself  and 
family  are  in  good  health  at  present,  our  youngest  child 
excepted.  I  should  be  very  happy  to  see  you.  You  re- 
quest me  to  write  the  time  of  my  baptism,  my  feelings,  and 
the  causes  why  I  accepted  the  invitation.  In  order  to 
show  these  things  aright,  I  must  go  back  a  piece.  I  was 
at  that  time  a  member  of  that  strait  sect  called  Presbyte- 
rians ;  taught  many  curious  things,  as  election,  fore-ordina- 
tion, etc.;  that  belief  in  these  matters  was  necessary;  that 
this  faith  resulted  from  some  secret  impulse ;  and  worse, 
that  I  could  not  believe ;  and  finally,  that  I  must  hope  and 
pray  that  God  would  have  mercy  upon  me  !  In  this  wil- 
derness I  became  wearied,  turned  about  and  came  home  to 
the  Book  of  God ;  took  it  up  as  if  it  had  dropped  down 
from  heaven,  and  read  it  for  myself  just  one  year. 

"  This  inquiry  led  me  to  see  that  God  so  loved  the» 
world  as  to  give  his  only  begotten  Son,  that  whosoever  be- 
lieved on  him  might  not  perish  l5ut  have  eternal  life.  I 
then  inquired  how  I  must  believe.  Paul  said  faith  cometh 
by  hearing,  and  hearing  by  the  Word  of  God  ;  also  that 
faith  was  the  substance  of  things  hoped  for — the  evidence 
of  things  not  seen.  Peter  spoke  of  election,  saying,  Save 
yourselves.  Paul  said  I  must  be  dead  to  sin  and  buried,  and 
raised  with  Christ  Jesus  to  newness  of  life.  The  Savior  said 
I  must  be  born  again  if  I  would  enter  the  kingdom  of  God. 

'*  Now,  here  it  was  I  discovered  myself  to  stand  in  the 
garden  of  nature  and  not  in  the  kingdom  of  heaven,  but  I 
learned  that  of  this  kingdom  Peter  received  the  keys,  and 
I  was  anxious  to  see  what  he  would  do  with  them.  Jesus 
said  proclaim  the  gospel  to  all  the  nations ;  he  that  believ- 
eth  and  is  baptized  shall  be  saved,  etc.  I  then  moved  a 
little  forward  till  I  found  these  words:  "Now  when  they 
heard    this   they  were  pricked   to  the  heart,   and  said  to 


MR.  AMEND' S  LETTER.  II3 

Peter  and  to  the  other  apostles,  Men  and  brethren,  what 
shall  we  do  ?  Peter  said,  Repent  and  be  baptized  every- 
one of  you  in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ  for  the  remission 
of  sins,"  etc.  To  this  scripture  I  often  resorted;  I  saw 
how  Peter  had  opened  the  kingdom,  and  the  door  into 
it,  but,  to  my  great  disappointment,  I  saw  no  man  to  intro- 
duce me,  though  I  prayed  much  and  often  for  it. 

'f  Now,  my  brother,  I  will  answer  your  questions.  I 
was  baptized  on  the  i8th  of  Nov.,  1827,  and  I  will  relate 
to  you  a  circumstance  which  occurred  a  few  days  before 
that  date.  I  had  read  the  2d  of  the  Acts  when  I  expressed 
myself  to  my  wife  as  follows  :  '*  Oh,  this  is  the  gospel — this 
is  the  thing  we  wish — the  remission  of  our  sins  !  Oh,  that 
I  could  hear  the  gospel  in  these  same  words — as  Peter 
preached  it!  I  hope  I  shall  some  day  hear  it;  and  the 
first  man  I  meet  who  will  preach  the  gospel  thus,  with  him 
will  I  go."  So,  my  brother,  on  the  day  you  saw  me  come 
into  the  meeting-house,  my  heart  was  open  to  receive  the 
Word  of  God,  and  when  you  cried,  "The  Scriptures  no 
longer  shall  be  a  sealed  book.  God  means  what  he  says. 
Is  there  any  man  present  who  will  take  God  at  his  word, 
and  be  baptized  for  remission  of  sins?" — at  that  moment 
my  feelings  were  such  that  I  could  have  cried  out,  ''  Glory 
to  God  !  I  have  found  the  man  whom  I  have  long  sought 
for."  So  I  entered  the  kingdom  where  I  readily  laid  hold 
of  the  hope  set  before  me. 

'*  Let  us,  then,  dear  brother,  strive  so  to  live  as  to  ob- 
tain an  abundant  entrance  into  the  everlasting  kingdom 
of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  at  his  coming — there  to  join  with 
the  heavenly  throng  in  a  song  of  praise  to  God  and  to  the 
Lamb  forever  and  ever.     Amen. 

**I  remain  yours,  etc.  William  Amend." 

It  may  interest  the  reader  to  know  that  Mr.  Amend 
is  still  living  at  Hiawatha,  Kansas,  at  the  age  of  nearly 
fourscore;  his  mind  is  still  clear  and  vigorous,  and  he 
10 


I  14  LIFE  OF  ELDER  IVALTEI^  SCOTT. 

can  read  ordinary  print  without  the  aid  of  glasses. 
He  has  never  for  a  moment  swerved  from  the  faith  he 
professed  some  forty-five  years  ago,  and  in  patience 
and  hope  he  is  waiting  the  Master's  call. 

Mr.  Scott,  after  the  events  narrated  above,  paid  a 
visit  to  several  points  on  the  Western  Reserve,  and 
in  three  weeks  aizain  returned  to  New  Lisbon.  He 
found  the  interest  awakened  by  his  first  visit  undi- 
minished, and  seven  more  were  added  to  the  number 
already  baptized.  His  labors  were  now  in  great  de- 
mand, calls  from  various  quarters  poured  in  upon  him, 
and  night  and  day  found  him  engaged,  wherever  op- 
portunity afforded,  in  the  Master's  work.  He  soon 
visited  New  Lisbon  again,  and  over  thirty  more  joyful 
and  willing  converts  were  made.  The  members  of  the 
Baptist  Church  received  the  Word  gladly,  and  almost 
to  a  man  accepted  the  truth  which  he  presented  with 
such  force  and  clearness,  and  resolved  that  thence- 
forth the  Word  of  God  should  be  their  only  rule  and 
guide.  In  this  visit  Elder  Scott  was  accompanied 
by  Joseph  Gaston,  a  minister  of  the  Christian  con- 
nection, who  had  heartily  embraced  the  truth,  and 
who  by  his  tender  and  pathetic  exhortations  greatly 
aided  in  promoting  the  success  of  the  gospel. 

The  excitement  consequent  upon  the  great  relig- 
ious changes  in  New  Lisbon  soon  spread  through  the 
county,  and  Scott  and  Gaston  were  urged  to  visit 
East  Fairfield,  a  village  some  eight  miles  distant. 
The  community  was  composed  mainly  of  Quakers 
and  Bible  Christians,  many  of  whom  accepted  the 
gospel  as  presented  by  the  new  preachers,  and  the  re- 
sult was,  that  after  a  meeting  of  three  or  four  days  a 
large  congregation,  including  several  of  the  most  in- 


ASSAILED   BY  PKEACIJERS.  11$ 

fliiential  people  in  that  loeality,  was  established  upon 
the  foundation  of  the  apostles  and  prophets. 

Returning  to  New  Lisbon,  Elder  Scott  found  the 
truth  to  be  advancing,  but  as  of  old,  also,  some  con- 
tradicting and  almost  blaspheming  ;  the  ordinance  of 
baptism  was  ridiculed  ;  opprobious  names  were  givt^n 
to  those  who  accepted  the  new  doctrine,  which  was 
stigmatized  as  heresy,  a  Water  Salvation,  as  worse  than 
Romanism — the  opposers,  in  their  zeal,  forgetting 
that  faith,  repentance,  and  a  new  life  were  as  much 
insisted  on  by  the  Reformers  as  those  who  differed 
from  them  in  other  respects.  Chief  in  the  opposition 
were  the  Methodist  and  Presbyterian  ministers  who, 
during  his  absence  at  Fairfield,  assailed  both  Scott 
and  his  teaching  from  their  respective  pulpits.  Of 
this  he  was  informed,  and  on  the  first  evening  after 
his  return  a  large  audience  gathered  to  hear  him. 
Just  as  he  was  beginning  his  discourse  the  two  min- 
isters came  in,  and  as  soon  as  they  were  seated  Scott 
said:  "There  are  two  gentlemen  in  the  house  who, 
in  my  absence,  made  a  man  of  straw  and  called  it 
Scott  ;  this  they  bitterly  assailed  ;  now  if  they  have 
any  thing  to  say  the  veritable  Scott  is  here,  and  the 
opportunity  is  now  theirs  to  make  good  what  they 
have  said  elsewhere.  Let  us  lay  our  views  before  the 
people  and  they  shall  decide  who  is  right  ;  for  my 
part,  I  am  willing  at  any  time  to  exchange  two  errors 
for  one  truth.  Come  out,  gentlemen,  like  men,  and 
let  us  discuss  the  matters  at  issue."  His  reverend 
assailants  showing  no  signs  of  accepting  his  invita- 
tion, he  called  them  by  name,  and,  addressing  some 
young  persons  on  the  front  seat,  said  :  "  Boys,  make 
room  there.     Now,  gentlemen,  come  forward."      The 


I  1 6  LIFE  OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCOTT. 

ministers,  however,  felt  tliat  the  man  and  his  teach- 
ings could  be  more  safely  assailed  in  his  absence  than 
in  his  presence  ;  they  therefore  rose,  and  arm  in  arm 
left  the  house,  leaving  behind  them  the  impression 
that  they  felt  unable  to  make  good  their  charges  of 
heresy  and  false  doctrine. 

A  report  was  also  set  on  foot  derogatory  to  the 
moral  standing  of  Mr.  Scott.  This  attack  on  his 
character  called  forth  much  sympathy  in  his  behalf. 
A  number  of  the  citizens  undertook  the  investiga- 
tion of  the  matter,  which  resulted  in  covering  his 
revilers  with  shame,  and  adding  to  his  already  great 
influence  in  the  community.  A  handsome  purse  was 
also  made  up  and  presented  to  him  by  those  who 
were  indignant  at  the  base  and  unfounded  charges 
which  had  been  made  against  him. 

Not  long  "after,  another  Methodist  minister  an- 
nounced that  he  would  review  and  expose  the  new 
doctrine.  A  large  audience  assembled  to  hear  him, 
and  among  them  Scott  himself  The  preacher  ad- 
dressed himself  to  his  task  in  an  unlovely  spirit ;  in- 
troducing the  services  by  reading  the  hymn  : 

"Jesus,  great  Shepherd  of  the  Sheep, 
To  thee  for  help  we  fly  ; 
Thy  little  flock  in  safety  keep, 
For  oh  !   the  Wolf  is  nigh  ;" 

emphasizing  the  last  line  in  such  a  way  as  to  leave 
no  doubt  as  to  who  was  the  Wolf  that  he  had  in  his 
eye.  He  assailed  Mr.  Scott  and  his  teachings  in 
terms  neither  chaste  nor  select,  grossly  misrepresent- 
ing both  the  man  and  his  doctrine.  When  he  closed, 
Mr.  Scott  begged  the  liberty  of  correcting  some  of 
the  statements  which  had  been  made,  and  did  so  in  a 


THE    WOLF  IS  NIG II.  11/ 

manner  so  kind  and  gentlemanly  that  the  audience 
were  as  deeply  impressed  with  the  Christian  spirit  he 
exhibited  as  they  had  been  disgusted  with  the  coarse- 
ness and  rudeness  of  his  assailant,  to  whom  they 
thought  the  epithet  ^voIf  belonged  more  properly, 
than  to  Avhom  it  was  intended  to  apply. 

Such  were  some  of  the  circumstances  which  at- 
tended the  restoration  of  the  ordinance  of  baptism  to 
its  proper  place  in  the  gospel  scheme  ;  and  it  is  some- 
what difficult  in  this  day  to  realize  how  it  could  have 
caused  such  excitement  and  aroused  such  bitter  op- 
position. The  ordinance,  beyond  all  doubt,  had  a  de- 
sign, and  the  setting  forth  that  design  in  the  langifage 
of  Scripture,  and  making  practical  that  which  was 
misunderstood  and  useless  before,  constituted  the 
great  peculiarity  of  Mr.  Scott's  teaching  upon  this 
subject.  In  connecting  it  with  the  remission  of  sins, 
no  thought  of  its  possessing  any  merit  or  cleansing 
power  entered  into  his  mind.  Christ  was  the  Savior, 
and  in  him  all  saving  power  was  centered,  and  bap- 
tism was  but  one  of  the  conditions  necessar)^  to  the 
enjoyment  of  the  salvation  which  his  death  had  made 
possible.  On  the  part  of  the  sinner  believing  on  the 
Lord  Jesus  with  all  his  heart,  feeling  his  sinfulness 
and  need  of  pardon,  baptism  was  the  open  and  public 
avowal  of  his  state  of  mind  and  heart,  and  an  accept- 
ance of  the  offer  made  in  the  gospel  to  those  who 
truly  believe  and  heartily  repent  ;  and  on  the  part  of 
Christ  it  was  a  solemn  assurance  that  his  submission 
was  accepted  ;  that  his  past  sins  were  forgiven  ;  that 
he  was  received  into  the  divine  favor  and  adopted  into 
the  family  of  God. 

Mr.  Scott's  opposers  regarded  him  as  substituting 


Il8  LIFE  OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCOTT. 

baptism  for  faith  in  the  Lord  Jesus,  and  a  change  of 
heart ;  while  he  ever  taught  that  faith  in  Christ  and 
a  changed  heart  brought  the  believing  penitent  to 
baptism  as  a  solemn  act  of  obedience,  which  proved 
the  sincerity  of  his  faith,  and  the  reality  of  the  change 
in  his  heart  and  affections.  He  regarded  it  as  the 
instrument  by  which  Christ  gave  assurance  of  pardon 
to  those  who  by  obedience  entered  into  covenant 
with  him  ;  the  act  by  which  the  transition  was  made 
from  the  kingdom  of  Satan  into  the  kingdom  of  God's 
dear  Son  ;  the  marriage  ceremony,  by  which  the  be- 
liever was  united  to  Christ  ;  the  law  of  naturalization, 
by  which  those  who  had  been  aliens  and  foreigners 
were  made  citizens  of  the  kingdom  of  God.  With 
him  it  was  the  point  at  which  forgiveness  was  realized 
by  actual  submission  to  the  law  of  Christ  ;  for  as 
forgiveness  must  be  realized  before  peace  and  joy 
could  take  possession  of  the  heart,  and  as  forgiveness 
could  take  place  only  before  obedience,  or  after  obedi- 
ence, or  in  obedience,  it  seemed  more  reasonable,  as 
well  as  scriptural,  that  it  should  be  found  in  obedience, 
rather  than  before  it,  or  be  delayed  after  obedience 
was  rendered. 

This  view  alone  rendered  the  Scriptures  intel- 
ligible. In  the  commission,  as  given  by  Mark,  "  He 
that  believeth  and  is  baptized  shall  be  saved,"  in 
some  way  connected  being  "  saved  "  with  the  condi- 
tions of  belief  and  baptism.  Christ  had  said  be- 
fore that,  "  Except  a  man  be  born  of  water  and  of 
the  Spirit  he  can  not  enter  into  the  kingdom  of 
God."  The  language  of  Peter,  Acts  ii :  38,  "  Re- 
pent and  be  baptized,  every  one  of  you,  in  the  name 
of  Jesus  Christ,  for  the  remission  of  sins,"  indicated 


ins   VIEWS  01-  BAPTISM.  I  IQ 

some  connection  between  baptism  and  pardon.  The 
language  of  Ananias  to  Saul,  "Arise  and  be  bap- 
tized, and  wash  away  thy  sins,"  seemed  to  point  to  the 
same  thing.  "  As  many  of  you  as  have  been  bap- 
tized into  Christ  have  put  on  Christ,"  seemed  to  mark 
the  entering  into  a  new  relation  to  Christ  by  bap- 
tism ;  and  the  language  of  i  Peter  iii":  21,  *' The 
like  figure  whereunto  even  baptism  doth  also  now 
save  us  (not  the  putting  away  of  the  filth  of  the  flesh, 
but  the  answer  of  a  good  conscience  toward  God),  by 
the  resurrection  of  Jesus  Christ,"  was  in  some  way 
associated  with  being  "  saved "  in  some  sense,  and 
also  with  the  obtaining  a  "good  conscience." 

These  he  felt  it  neither  safe  to  ignore  nor  possible 
to  explain  away ;  to  teach  them  was  the  only  course 
that  remained.  This  he  did,  but  not  to  the  neglect 
of  any  thing  else  enjoined  in  the  word  of  God  ;  and 
yet  this  was  the  head  and  front  of  his  heresy.  In 
teaching  this  he  restored  one  of  the  long-neglected 
conditions  of  pardon  to  its  proper  place,  and  thus 
brought  order  out  of  confusion,  and  substituted  light 
for  the  darkness  upon  this  subject,  which  long  had 
reigned. 

Before  the  restoration  of  this  neglected  element 
of  gospel  obedience — this  missing  link — assurance 
of  pafdon  was,  by  the  great  majority,  made  to  de- 
pend upon  the  simple  exercise  of  faith  ;  that  is,  the 
proof  or  evidence  that  an  individual  was  pardoned 
depended  on  his  faith  that  such  really  was  the  case. 
But  here  was  the  difficulty  ;  if  an  individual,  who 
was  conscious  of  being  in  an  unpardoned  state,  was 
required  to  believe  that  he  was  pardoned  in  order  that 
he  might  be,  he  was  likely  to  reason  as  follows  :  "  If 


I20  LIFE  OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCOTT. 

I  believe  I  am  pardoned  now,  am  I  not  believing  that 
which  is  not  true?  the  pardon  must  be  granted 
before  I  can  believe  it."  It  seems  like  teaching  that 
all  men  are  in  a  pardoned  state,  but  all  do  not  enjoy 
it  because  they  do  not  believe  it  ;  it  is  like  telling  the 
sick  man  you  are  well  if  you  only  believe  it,  while  he 
would  feel  like  replying,  **  I  can  not  believe  I  am  well 
until  such  is  really  the  case."  Very  many  made  their 
feelings  the  test  of  their  standing  in  the  sight  of 
God,  and,  in  striving  after  what  they  deemed  the 
proper  state  of  feeling  for  pardoned  persons,  fell 
into  many  extravagancies.  Dreams  and  visions  and 
any  unusual  occurrences  were  regarded  as  tokens  of 
God's  favor ;  not  a  few  could  be  found  ready  to 
testify  that  they  had  heard  from  above  the  words, 
"  Thy  sins  be  forgiven  thee  ;"  others,  after  having 
their  minds  filled  with  terror,  and  being  brought 
very  near  to  t-he  pit  of  despair,  would  regard  the 
calm  which  followed  as  the  smiling  of  God's  face  ; 
and  still  others  would  for  years  realize  all  the  al- 
ternations of  hope  and  despair,  at  times  feeling  as- 
sured of  God's  favor,  at  other  times  writhing  under 
his  frown. 

*  No  fixed  and  definite  way  of  coming  to  God  and 
receiving  an  assurance  of  his  favor  seemed  to  be 
known  ;  each  effort  to  that  end  was  an  experiment, 
and  none  knew  whether  it  would  result  in  joy  or  de- 
spair. Penitents  earnest  and  sincere,  for  long  periods 
sought  pardon,  but  their  prayers  and  tears  seemed  of 
no  avail ;  in  sorrow  and  anguish  of  spirit  they  were 
compelled  to  give  up  the  search  without  finding 
heaven  disposed  to  be  gracious  to  their  souls.  We 
know  not  how  to  better  illustrate  this  state  of  things 


n  ESL  E  \  ■•  S  EXPLKILiXCE.  I  2  I 

than  by  giving  the  experience  of  John  Wesley  upon 
this  very  point  of  assurance  of  acceptance  with  God. 
One  of  his  biographers  thus  writes  : 

'•  John  Wesley  is  now  thirty-five  years  of  age.  Thirteen 
years  have  passed  since  he  began  to  seek  the  salvation  of 
his  soul  by  trying  to  keep  the  law  of  God.  These  years 
have  been  spent  in  such  earnest  work  as  few  men  ever  per- 
form. His  eye  has  been  steadfastly  fixed  on  the  grand  ob- 
ject of  his  pursuit.  He  has,  with  rare  force  of  will,  made 
every  thing  in  and  about  him  subserve  his  high  purpose. 
Though  uncertain  of  divine  favor,  he  has  heroically  per- 
sisted in  doing  the  divine  will,  so  far  as  he  has  understood 
it.  He  meets  with  a  good  Moravian  brother,  named  Peter 
Bohler.  They  talk  of  religion  with  burning  hearts.  Peter 
soon  discovers  that  his  learned  friend  is  prevented  from 
enjoying  peace  of  mind,  because  of  certain  errors  of 
opinion  ;  and  looking  very  tenderly  into  his  serious  face, 
he  says,  feelingly:  'My  brother!  my  brother!  that  phi- 
losophy of  yours  must  be  purged  away.' 

"They  part.  Wesley  thinks  deeply  on  the  questions  raised 
by  Peter,  until  going  to  Oxford  some  days  later  to  see  his 
brother  Charles,  who  was  supposed  to  be  dying,  he  meets 
Peter  Bohler  again.  Their  conversation  is  renewed,  until 
Wesley,  with  genuine  humility,  confesses  :  '  I  am  clearly  con- 
vinced of  unbelief,  of  the  want  of  that  faith  whereby  alone 
we  are  saved.'  Then  his  highly-sensitive  conscience  smites 
him,  and  presses  this  question  upon  him  :  *  You  must  leave 
off  preaching.  How  can  you  preach  to  others,  who,  like 
you,  have  not  faith  ?'  This  inquiry  troubled  him,  and, 
with  his  wonted  openness,  he  stated  it  to  Peter,  and  asks  : 
*  Should  I  leave  off  preaching  or  not  ?  '  With  sound  good 
sense,  Peter  rejoins:  'By  no  means.'  'But  what  can  I 
preach?'  urges  the  distressed  Wesley.  'Preach  faith  //// 
you  have  it,  and  then  because  you  have  it,  you  will  preach 
faith.' 


122  LIFE  OF  ELDER    WALTER  SCOTT. 

*'They  separate.  But  ruecting  Bohler  again,  he  is  told 
that  '  Dominion  over  sin,  and  constant  peace  from  a 
sense  of  forgiveness,  attend  the  exercise  of  saving  faith.' 
He  is  amazed  at  this  statement.  He  has  never  supposed 
that  a  sense  of  forgiveness  was  his  privilege.  But  he 
promises  to  search  for  the  doctrine  in  his  Greek  Testa- 
ment. He  does  this  with  much  prayer.  Light  breaks  in 
upon  his  mind,  and  when  he  meets  Peter,  a  month  later, 
he  confesses  to  have  found  the  blessed  doctrine  in  the 
sacred  Word,  very  much  to  his  friend's  satisfaction,  and 
to  the  increase  of  his  own  hopes.  And  now  Petef  renews 
his  astonishment,  by  declaring  that  the  blessing  of  pardon 
and  of  a  new  heart  is  graciously  given  to  a  penitent  the 
moment  he  trusts  in  Christ  I  'Impossible!  '  cries  the  still 
incredulous  Wesley.  '  Search  the  Scriptures  and  see,' 
replies  Bohler.  Again  is  our  scholar  confounded  by  the 
simple  word  of  God.  He  finds  scarcely  any  other  than 
instantaneous  conversions  recorded  in  the  sacred  page. 

It  is  now  the  24th  of  May,  1738.  At  five  in  the  morning  he 
opens  his  Greek  Testament,  and  these  words  meet  his  eye : 
'There  are  given  unto  us  exceeding  great  and  precious 
promises,  even  that  ye  should  be  partakers  of  the  divine 
nature. ' 

"This  encourages  him.  On  going  out  he  opens  his 
Testament  again,  and  is  comforted  by  the  words,  'Thou 
art  not  far  from  the  kingdom  of  God.'  In  the  afternoon 
he  attends  divine  service  at  St.  Paul's,  where  the  anthem 
encourages  his  hopes.  In  the  evening  he  goes  to  a  little 
society  meeting,  in  Aldersgate  Street.  Behold  him  seated, 
with  sad  expression,  among  a  few  poor,  earnest  seekers  of 
his  Lord,  listening  to  a  man  reading  Luther's  preface  to 
the  Epistle  to  the  Romans  !  About  a  quarter  before  nine, 
the  speaker  describes  the  change  which  God  works  in  the 
heart  through  faith.  In  a  moment  his  heart  is  '  strangely 
warmed,'   and   sends    up    a    spontaneous    prayer    for    his 


IVESL E  Y'S  EXPERIENCE.  1 2  3 

enemies — the  first  gush  of  the  love  begotten  in  him  by  the 
Holy  Spirit. 

''Very  soon  the  speaker  stops.  Wesley  rises,  his  face 
radiant  with  heavenly  light,  and  says  :  '  I  now,  for  the 
first  time,  feel  in  my  heart  that  I  trust  in  Christ,  Christ 
alone,  for  salvation.  I  have  an  assurance  that  he  has  taken 
away  my  sins,  even  mine,  and  saved  me  from  the  law  of  sin 
and  death  !'  " 

This  is,  doubtless,  a  true  but  a  sad  picture  of  an 
earnest  soul  seeking  after  God — willing  to  be  saved, 
yet  seeking  God's  favor  in  vain  for  thirteen  long 
years.  Was  Wesley  insincere  or  God  unwilling  to 
save .''  Neither ;  Wesley  was  seeking  without  any 
clear  apprehension  of  the  plan  of  salvation,  at  one 
time  seeking  the  advice  of  a  friend  who  was  a  blind 
leader  of  the  blind,  learning  after  years  of  mental 
suffering  that  a  *' sense  of  forgiveness  was  Jiis  priv- 
ilege'' 

Opening  his  Testament  at  random  ;  looking  for 
what  he  needs  now  in  an  anthem  ;  again  at  a  little 
society  meeting ;  and  when  the  assurance  does  come, 
it  is  a  marvelous  if  not  miraculous  affair,  and  totally 
unlike  any  of  the  cases  reported  in  the  Word  of  God. 
Has  God  taught  men  to  seek  thus  without  telling 
them  where  they  may  find  }  did  the  gospel  offer, point 
out  no  path  by  which  peace  and  pardon  might  be 
found  } 

Every  case  of  conversion  after  the  gospel  was 
first  proclaimed  on  Pentecost  shows  that  obedi- 
ence was  always  followed  by  the  joy  of  pardon.  One 
of  the  great  elements  restored  by  Scott  was,  that  all 
who  felt  as  did  the  multitude  who  on  Pentecost  cried 
out,  "Men  and  brethren,  what  shall  we  do.''"  by  obe- 


I  24  LIFE  OF  ELDER  '  IVAL  TER  SCOTT. 

dience  to  the  instructions  there  given  in  the  words 
"Repent  and  be  baptized  every  one  of  you  in  the  name 
of  Jesus  Christ  for  the  remission  of  sins,  and  ye  shall 
receive  the  gift  of  the  Holy  Spirit,"  might,  like  them, 
"gladly  receive  the  Word,"  and  feel  an  assurance 
that  the  promise  was  fulfilled  to  the  joy  of  their 
hearts. 

It  is  true  that  Wesley's  case  was  before  the  times 
of  v,^hich  we  write,  but  myriads  of  cases,  more  or  less 
like  his,  were  to  be  found  at  that  time,  and  to  them  it 
was  the  greatest  joy  their  hearts  had  ever  known  to 
be  pointed  to  Pentecost  as  the  model  for  all  time. 

It  is  worthy  of  note  that  Wesley  himself  afterwards, 
whether  he  perceived  the  precise  relation  of  baptism 
to  the  forgiveness  of  sins  or  not,  expressed  himself  as 
if  he  both  understood  and  believed  it.  His  language 
is  :  "  Baptism,  administered  to  real  penitents,  is  both 
a  means  and  a  seal  of  pardon.  Nor  did  God  ordina- 
rily in  the  primitive  church  bestow  this  (pardon)  on 
any  unless  through  this  means."  Indeed,  it  is  a 
somewhat  remarkable  fact,  that  nearly  all  the  creeds 
of  the  various  religious  parties  at  that  time  associ- 
ated the  remission  of  sins  with  baptism,  and  yet  they 
all  united  in  casting  Scott's  name  out  as  evil  because 
he  taught  and  practiced  in  accordance  with  their  own 
creeds,  which  in  this  instance  were  not  at  variance 
with  the  Word  of  God. 

As  proof  of  this,  we  give  quotations  from  the 
creeds  of  some  of  the  largest  and  most  popular 
denominations.  The  Episcopal  Prayer-book  uses 
the  words  **  washing  away  of  sins,"  and  teaches  that 
"God  will  grant  them  remission  of  their  sins"  who 
come    to   the   ordinance   of   baptism    in    faith,  truly 


CALViws  r//:ivs.  125 

repenting.  The  Melhodist  Discipline  uses  similar 
language.  The  Presbyterian  Confession  says  :  "  Bap- 
tism is  a  sacrament  of  the  N'cw  Testanictit^  ordained 
by  Jesus  Christ,  not  only  for  the  solemn  admis- 
sion of  the  party  baptized  into  the  visible  church, 
but  also  to  be  unto  him  a  sign  and  seal  of  the  cove- 
nant of  grace,  of  his  ingrafting  into  Christ,  of  regen- 
eration, of  remission  of  sins,  and  of  his  giving  up 
unto  God,  through  Jesus  Christ,  to  walk  in  newness 
of  life  ;  which  sacrament  is,  by  Christ's  own  appoint- 
ment, to  be  continued  in  his  church  until  the  end  of 
the  world."  The  Baptist  creed  says  :  "  Baptism  is  an 
ordinance  of  the  New  Testament,  ordained  by  Jesus 
Christ,  to  be  unto  the  party  baptized  a  sign  of  his 
fellowship  with  him  in  his  death  and  resurrection,  of 
his  being  ingrafted  into  him,  of  remission  of  sins,  and 
of  his  giving  up  unto  God,  through  Jesus  Christ,  to 
live  and  walk  in  newness  of  life."  The  Roman  Cath- 
olic and  Greek  Church  say :  "  We  believe  in  one 
baptism  for  the  remission  of  sins."  Calvin,  the  great 
Reformer,  says  **  Baptism  resembles  a  legal  instru- 
ment, properly  attested,  by  which  he  assures  us  that 
all  our  sins  are  canceled,  effaced,  and  obliterated,  so 
that  they  will  never  appear  in  his  sight  or  come  into 
his  remembrance,  or  be  imputed  to  us.  ..For  he  com- 
mands all  who  believe  to  be  baptized  for  the  remis- 
sion of  sins." 

"  Therefore,  those  who  have  imagined  that  bap- 
tism is  nothing  more  than  a  mark  or  sign  by  which 
we  profess  our  religion  before  men,  as  soldiers 
wear  the  insignia  of  their  sovereign  as  a  mark  of 
their  profession,  have  not  considered  that  which  was 
the    principal    thing   in    baptism,   which    is   that    we 


126  LIFE  OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCOTT. 

ought  to  receive  it  with  this  promise  :"  "  He  that  be- 
Ueveth  and  is  baptized  shall  be  saved  ;"  and,  indeed, 
there  is  no  single  item  of  religious  faith  and  practice 
in  regard  to  which  the  various  church  standards  give 
such  a  united  and  uniform  testimony  as  baptism  for 
the  remission  of  sins,  yet  with  almost  equal  unanim- 
ity the  various  parties  deny  and  discard  what  those 
standards  so  unequivocally  affirm.  Scott's  plea, 
then,  was  a  strong  one,  and  one,  moreover,  that  could 
not  be  treated  as  a  new  and  unheard  of  view  of  the 
case,  and  one  which  he  could  present  in  the  very 
words  of  Holy  Scripture. 


VISITS    U'ARREiY.  12/ 


CHAPTER    VIII. 


Visits  Warren — Cold  reception — John  Tail's  conversion — Sketch  of  Elder 
Bentlev, 


IN  order  to  be  nearer  the  field  of  his  labors,  Mr. 
Scott  now  removed  to  Canfield,  on  the  Reserve; 
and,  elated  by  the  remarkable  success  which  had 
attended  his  labors  at  New  Lisbon,  and  not  doubt- 
ing but  that  the  divine  blessing  would  accompany 
the  Word  when  faithfully  proclaimed,  he  paid  a  visit 
to  Warren,  on  the  Western  Reserve,  at  which  place 
was  the  largest  and  strongest  church  within  the 
bounds  of  the  Association.  This  congregation  had 
enjoyed  for  many  years  the  labors  of  Adamson  Bent- 
ley,  to  .whose  ministry,  in  a  great  measure,  its  pros- 
perity was  due.  No  Baptist  minister  was  better 
known  or  more  highly  esteemed  than  he  in  all  that 
region.  He  sympathized  with  Mr.  Campbell  in  his 
views  as  set  forth  in  the  "Christian  Baptist,"  and 
had,  in  a  great  measure,  under  these  enlarged  views 
of  Bible  truth,  outgrown  the  limits  of  the  narrow 
creed'of  the  religious  body  with  which  he  was  iden- 
tified, and  had,  moreover,  expressed  in  public  the 
same  views  in  regard  to  the  design  of.baptism  as  had 
recently  been  turned  to  such  practical  account  by 
Mr.  Scott. 

Some  months  before   this  time,  in   compan}'  with 
Jacob  Osborne,  a  minister  of  great  promise,  he  had 


I  2  S  L IFE   OF  ELBE  A'   ll\lL'JEK  SCO  TT. 

gone  to  Braceville  to  hold  a  meeting,  and  during  its 
progress,  while  speaking  with  regard  to  baptism,  he 
stated  that  it  was  designed  to  be  a  pledge  of  the  re- 
mission ot  sins.  Alter  meeting,  on  their  way  home, 
Mr.  0.^borne  .-aid  :  *'  Well,  Bro.  Benlley,you  have  chris- 
tened baptism  to-day."  "  How  so.^"  said  Mr.  Bentley. 
.  **  You  termed  it  a  remitting  institution."  "Well," 
rejoined  Mr.  Bentley,  "1  do  not  see  how  this  conclu- 
sion is  to  be  avoided  with  the  Scriptures  before  us." 
"  It  is  the  truth,"  said  Mr.  Osborne,  who  was  a  great 
student  of  the  Bible,  "and  I  have  for  some  time 
thought  that  the  waters  of  baptism  must  stand  in  the 
same  position  to  us  that  the  blood  of  sacrifices  did  to 
the  Jews.  The  blood  of  bulls  and  of  goats  could 
never  take  away  sins,  a^  Paul  declares,  yet  when 
offered  at  the  altar  by  the  sinner,  he  had  the  divine 
assurance  that  his  sins  were  forgiven  him.  This 
blood  was  merely  typical  of  the  blood  of  Christ,  the 
true  sin-offering  to  which  it  pointed  prospectively  ; 
and  it  seems  to  me  that  the  water  in  baptism,  which 
has  no  power  in  itself  to  wash  away  sins,  now  refers 
retrospectively  to  the  purifying  power  of  the  blood 
of  the  Lamb  of  God." 

Mr.  Scott,  not  long  after,  fell  in  with  them,  and  all 
three  went  to  Rowland  together  ;  the  discourse  of 
Bentley  at  Braceville  came  up,  in  course  of  conver- 
sation, and  Scott  expressed  his  agreement  with  the 
view  he  had  taken  of  the  subject.  Mr.  Osborne 
preached  at  Rowland,  and  in  his  remarks  advanced 
the  idea  that  no  one  had  the  promise  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  until  after  baptism.  The  remark  seemed  to 
strike  Mr.  Scott  with  surprise,  and  after  meeting  he 
said  to  Mr.  Osborne  :  "  You  are  a  man  of  great  cour- 


ELDER  BENTLEY  EEAREUL.  1 29 

age  ;"  and,  turning  to  ls\\\  Bcntlcy,  he  added  :  "  Do 
you  not  think  so,  Bro.  Bentley  ?"  "  Why  ?"  said  Mr. 
Bentley.  "  Because,"  said  he,  "  he  ventured  to  assert 
to-day  that  no  one  had  a  right  to  expect  the  Holy 
Spirit  until  after  baptism." 

These  events  took  place  before  the  occurrences  at 
New  Lisbon,  and,  doubtless,  being  fresh  in  the  mind 
of  Scott,  he  naturally  expected  not  only  a  warm  wel- 
come from  the  church  in  Warren,  but  also  the  earnest 
co-operation  of  its  pastor,  Elder  Bentley,  and  ]\Ir. 
Osborne,  who  was  teaching  an  academy  there,  as 
they  both  held  the  views  which  he  had  been  so  ably 
and  successfully  advocating.  In  this,  as  far  as  Elder 
Bentley  was  concerned,  he  was  at  first  disappointed  ; 
the  views  which  he  had  expressed  at  Braceville,  with 
regard  to  the  design  of  baptism,  were  his  views  still, 
but  he  never  had  thought  of  making  them  practical 
or  operative,  as  they  recentl}^  had  been  by  Mr.  Scott, 
the  report  of  whose  doings  at  New  Lisbon  had  pre- 
ceded him  to  Warren,  and  had  made  the  impression 
on  the  mind  of  Bentley  that  his  course  was  one  differ- 
ing widely  and  dangerously  from  Baptist  usage,  and 
indeed  from  the  practice  of  all  other  churches,  and 
in  consequence  he  could  not  but  regard  him  with 
suspicion. 

Immediately  after  his  arrival,  having  met 'with 
Elder  Bentley,  Scott  asked  concerning  the  condition 
of  the  church,  and  was  told  in  reply  that  it  was  get- 
ting on  much  as  usual  ;  whereupon  Scott  intimated 
that  he  was  pursuing  a  course  very  different  from 
that  usually  taken,  but,  as  he  thought,  in  perfect  ac- 
cordance with  the  teaching  of  the  New  Testament 
and   the    practice   of  the   apostles.      He,    moreover, 


I30  LIFE  OF  ELDER   WALIER  SCOTT. 

frankly  told  him  that  the  views  he  entertained  were 
such  as  would  unsettle  the  minds  of  the  brethren, 
and  if  adopted  would  lead  to  the  giving  up  of  many- 
things  which  they  as  Baptists  held  dear,  but  that  the 
result  would  be  a  purer  and  more  useful  church.  "  I 
have,"  said  he,  **  got  the  saw  by  the  handle,  and  I  ex- 
pect to  saw  you  all  asunder" — meaning  by  this,  that 
their  creed  and  church  articles  must  give  way  before 
the  truth  of  God,  which  he  proposed  to  insist  upon 
as  the  only  rule  and  guide  for  the  church. 

Bentley  did  not  enter  into  the  spirit  nor  catch  the 
enthusiasm  of  the  ardent  evangelist ;  the  course  pro- 
posed seemed  to  him  revolutionary — one  in  which 
there  might  be  great  danger,  and  for  which  he  did 
not  feel  prepared,  and  when  Scott  urged  that  an  ap- 
pointment be  given  out  for  him  to  preach  that  even- 
ing in  the  Baptist  church,  he  intimated  that  he 
thought  it  best  for  him  not  to  begin  his  labors  just 
then — wishing,  no  doubt,  to  learn  more  of  the  course 
he  expected  to  pursue  before  he  gave  it  his  help  and 
approval.  Scott  felt,  however,  that  the*  King's  busi- 
ness required  haste,  and  insisted  that  an  appointment 
should  be  made,  and,  after  they  parted,  sent  a  note  to 
Jacob  Osborne,  then  engaged  in  teaching,  requesting 
him  to  give  notice  through  his  pupils  that  there 
would  be  preaching  that  night  at  the  Baptist  church, 
which  was  done.  On  learning  this,  Elder  Bentley 
gave  orders  that  the  meeting-house  should  not  be 
opened  that  night,  in  consequence  of  which  Scott 
procured  the  use  of  the  court-house,  and  had  the 
people  notified  that  he  would  address  them  there. 
An  audience,  mainly  of  young  people,  assembled,  and 
he  addressed  them  in  such  a  manner  as  to  make  a 


BEXTLEY    YIELDS.  I3I 

most  favorable  impression,  and  at  the  close  of  his 
discourse  he  requested  them  to  make  it  known  that 
on  the  next  night  he  would  tell  all  who  might  favor 
him  with  their  presence  something  they  had  never 
heard  before.  This,  of  course,  was  the  means  of 
letting  every  one  in  the  town  and  vicinity  know 
that  something  out  of  the  usual  order  might  be 
expected. 

The  next  day  Scott  met  with  Bentley  and  Osborne, 
and  Bentley  withdrew  his  opposition,  and  agreed  that 
the  meeting  should  be  held  that  night  in  the  church 
instead  of  the  court-house.  A  large  audience  gath- 
ered, and  the  zeal  and  eloquence  of  the  preacher  car- 
ried his  hearers  by  storm.  He  presented  Christianity 
in  virgin  robes  of  truth  and  purity,  as  when  she  de- 
scended from  her  native  skies — and  sectarianism  in 
every  form  suffered  by  the  contrast.  The  religion  of 
the  New  Testament,  in  all  its  beauty  and  simplicity, 
stripped  of  the  difficulties  with  which  human  teach- 
ing had  encumbered  and  disfigured  it,  was  shown  to 
be  perfectly  adapted  to  human  wants  and  woes,  and 
the  fullness  and  freeness  of  the  salvation  which  it 
offered,  contrasted  with  the  narrow  partialism  of  the 
prevailing  Calvinism  of  the  times,  made  it  seem  like 
a  gospel  indeed — glad  tidings  of  great  joy  to  all  peo- 
ple. The  next  night  brought  a  still  larger  audience 
and  an  increased  interest.  The  prejudices  of  Bentley 
gave  way  under  the  luminous  exhibitions  of  the  gos- 
pel, and  he  soon  embraced  heartily  the  truth  which 
Scott  presented  with  fidelity  and  power.  With  some 
of  these  views,  as  we  have  seen,  he  had  for  some  time 
been  familiar,  but  until  now  he  had  never  realized 
their  practical  significance,  nor  had  they  ever  brought 


132  LIFE  OF  ELDER  WALTER  SCOTT. 

such  joy  to  his  heart  before.  Soon,  too,  the  uncon- 
verted portion  of  the  audience  began  to  yield  to  the 
claims  of  the  gospel  ;  and  as  they  inquired  anxiously, 
"Men  and  brethren,  what  shall  we  do?"  they  were 
met  with  the  same  answer  which  was  given  to  the 
same  question  in  the  days  of  old.  Baptism  on  a 
simple  confession  of  faith  in  Jesus  as  the  Son  of  God 
speedily  followed,  the  newly  baptized  were  added  to 
the  church,  and  wdiat  was  said  of  Samaria  after  the 
preaching  of  Philip  was  true  of  Warren — "  there  was 
great  joy  in  that  city." 

Scott  spent  eight  days  in  all  at  that  visit,  during 
which  time  twenty-nine  persons  w^ere  baptized,  and 
the  entire  Baptist  Church,  with  one  or  two  excep- 
tions, accepted  the  new  order  of  things,  which  had 
so  long  been  forgotten. 

The  work,  however,  did  not  stop  on  the  departure 
of  the  preacher — the  truth  wrought  mightil}^  in  the 
community,  the  Bible  was  read  and  searched  as  never 
before,  members  of  other  churches  were  led  to  exam- 
ine the  new  doctrine,  as  it  was  called,  and  this  led 
them  to  see  the  weakness  of  partyism,  and  resulted 
in  the  conviction  that  it  was  true,  and  led  them  to 
abandon  their  old  and  long-cherished  associations 
and  unite  with  those  who  had  taken  the  Word  of  God 
alone  as  their  guide.  Among  the  converts  during 
the  first  visit  of  Scott,  was  John  Tait,  a  man  of  great 
stature  and  strong  will  ;  he  was  a  Presbyterian, 
warmly  attached  to  the  faith  of  his  fathers,  and  when 
his  wife,  who  had  attended  on  Scott's  preaching, 
resolved  to  confess  Christ  and  be  baptized,  he  op- 
posed her  bitterly,  and  even  went  so  far  as  to  threaten 
violence   to   the  preacher  if  he   should   baptize   her. 


A  N  A  NCR  y  111  SUA  A'D.  133 

The  preacher,  not  in  the  least  intimidated,  gave  him 
to  understand  that,  if  his  wife  wished  to  be  baptized, 
he  would  baptize  her  even  if  he,  her  husband,  should 
stand  with  a  drawn  sword  to  prevent  it.  The  wife, 
fully  convinced  that, it  was  her  duty  to  render  this 
act  of  obedience  to  her  Lord,  notwithstanding  the 
violent  opposition  of  her  husband,  was  determined 
to  be  baptized.  Almost  frantic  with  excitement,  he 
called  on  Scott,  and  found  him  in  company  with  sev- 
eral preachers  who  were  attending  the  meeting,  and 
forbade  the  baptism  of  his  wife.  Scott  and  Eentley 
attempted,  but  in  vain,  for  a  time  to  reason  with  him, 
urging  that  his  wife  was  acting  in  accordance  with 
her  convictions  of  duty  as  set  forth  in  the  Word  of 
God,  and  that  in  a  matter  of  such  moment  she  ought 
to  be  allowed  to  decide  for  herself.  It  was  long  be- 
fore he  could  be  calmed  sufficiently  to  reason  upon  the 
subject,  but  the  mildness  and  gentleness  with  which 
Scott  treated  him  caused  him  in  a  measure  to  relent 
and  listen  to  what  the  Word  of  God,  for  which  he 
professed  a  deep  reverence,  had  to  say  upon  the  mat- 
ter. As  the  examination  of  the  Scriptures  proceeded, 
and  the  light  began  to  dawn  upon  his  mind,  his  man- 
ner and  feelings  underwent  a  great  change,  and, 
deeply  moved,  he  said  to  Mr.  Scott,  "  Will  you  pray 
for  me  ?"  "  No,  sir,"  said  he,  "  I  will  not  pray  for  a 
man  who  will  so  rudely  oppose  his  wife  in  her  desire 
to  do  the  will  of  God,  but  perhaps  this  brother  will 
pray  for  you."  The  brother  named  did  so,  with  great 
earnestness  and  fervor,  and  Tait  was  so  melted  dur- 
ing the  prayer  that,  when  they  rose  from  their  knees, 
he,  in  a  very  humble  manner,  asked  to  be  baptized. 
His  request  was  granted,  and   among  the   new  con- 


134  LIFE  OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCOTT. 

verts  there  was  none  happier  or  more  earnest  than 
John  Tait.  Not  long  after  his  baptism  Mr.  Tait  met 
with  his  forper  pastor,  and  entered  into  conversation 
with  him  with  regard  to  the  change  in  his  views  and 
church  relationship.  The  Scriptures  were  appealed 
to,  and  Tait  urged  upon  him  that  he  should,  in  accord- 
ance with  their  teaching,  be  baptized  for  the  remis- 
sion of  sins.  **What !"  said  the  minister,  "  would  you 
have  me  to  be  baptized  contrary  to  my  conscience  V 
*•  Yes,"  said  Tait.  "  Were  you,  Mr.  Tait,"  he  replied, 
** baptized  contrary  to  your  conscience  V'  "Yes,"  was 
the  reply,  '*  I  was.  My  conscience  told  me  that 
sprinkling  in  infancy  would  do,  but  the  Word  of  God 
said:  *Be  baptized  for  the  remission  of  sins,'  and  I 
thought  it  better  to  tear  my  conscience  than  to  tear 
a  leaf  out  of  the  Bible." 

This  interview  made  a  deep  impression  upon  the 
minister.  The  more  he  looked  at  the  Bible  in  regard 
to  the  matter,  the  more  he  doubted  his  former  teach- 
ing on  the  subject,  and  he  soon  abandoned  his  pulpit ; 
he  felt  that  he  could  no  longer  preach  as  before,  but 
he  lacked  the  courage  to  say  that  he  had  been 
preaching  a  human  theory,  and  to  preach  thenceforth 
only  what  was  taught  in  the  Word  of  God. 

The  interest  awakened  by  Scott's  first  visit  did  not 
prove  to  be  a  short-lived  one  ;  on  the  contrary,  it 
continued  to  deepen  and  widen  ;  the  entire  com- 
munity was  stirred  and  aroused.  Many  of  the  con- 
gregations in  the  adjacent  towns  partook  of  the  prev- 
alent spirit,  and  the  entire  winter  was  characterized 
by  a  religious  zeal  and  success  such  as  never  had  been 
known  in  that  region  before.  All  the  new  converts 
had  to  defend  the  faith  ihey  had  embraced,  and,  with 


BENTLEVS  LIFE  AND  LABORS.  1 35 

the  Bible  in  their  hands,  they  fully  proved  their 
ability  to  do"  so,  and  numerous  additions  were  made 
to  the  church  at  Warren.  • 

Bentley  and  Osborne  followed  up  the  work  which 
Scott  had  begun  with  great  zeal  and  success.  The 
return  of  Scott  on  several  occasions  within  a  brief 
period,  added  to  the  prevailing  interest,  and  in  five 
months  the  membership  at  Warren  was  doubled,  the 
additions  amounting  to  one  hundred  and  seventeen. 
The  most  important  result  of  Mr.  Scott's  visit  to 
Warren  was  the  enlistment  of  Elder  Bentley  in  the 
adoption  and  advocacy  of  his  views  of  the  ancient 
gospel.  His  untiring  and  successful  labors  rendered 
him  one  of  the  most  useful  men  of  the  time,  and  no 
one  contributed  more  than  he  to  the  spread  of  the 
Reformation  over  the  Western  Reserve,  and  also  by 
means  of  his  numerous  converts  through  the  Great 
West.  No  permanent  record  with  regard  to  him  has 
been  given  to  the  world,  and  this  seems  a  fitting 
place  to  give  some  connected  account  of  his  life  and 
labors. 

Adamson  Bentley  was  born  on  the  4th  of  July, 
1785,  in  Allegheny  County,  Pennsylvania,  and  early 
in  life  removed  to  the  Western  Reserve,  at  that  time 
almost  an  unbroken  forest.  Of  course  his  advantages 
were  but  limited,  as  is  the  case  in  all  new  settlements  ; 
yet  he,  in  a  measure,  made  up  for  the  lack  of  schools 
and  teachers  by  private  study,  and  thus  qualified  him- 
self for  the  useful  and  honorable  positions  w^hich  he 
occupied  so  long  and  so  well.  When  but  a  youth  his 
thoughts  were  attracted  to  the  subject  of  religion, 
and  he  was  not  slow  to  carry  out  his  convictions  of 
duty.     He  became  a  member  of  the  Baptist  Church, 


136  L  II'E   OP'  EL DER   WALI ER  SCO  TT. 

and  his  zeal  and  piety,  as  well  as  his  gifts,  soon 
marked  him  out  as  one  well  fitted  for  the  responsible 
position  of  a  preacher  of  the  faith  which  his  life 
adorned.  He  began  to  speak  in  public  when  about 
nineteen  years  of  age,  and  some  five  years  after  was 
ordained  to  the  ministry  of  the  Word.  In  about  one 
year  after  this  he  was  called  to  the  pastoral  care  of 
the  church  at  Warren,  which,  under  his  labors,  soon 
became  the  strongest  church  in  that  portion  of  the 
State.  To  an  easy  and  polished  delivery  was  added 
a  fine  personal  appearance  and  most  engaging  man- 
ners ;  he  was  by  nature  a  gentleman — manly,  grace- 
ful and  dignified,  the  peer  of  the  best,  and  yet  so 
affable  and  kind  as  to  win  the  esteem  of  the  very 
humblest.  The  religious  system  which  he  adopted 
was  that  of  rigid  Calvinism,  as  taught  in  the  Phila- 
delphia Confession  of  Faith,  which,  at  that  time,  was 
the  generally  received  symbol  of  the  Baptist  body. 
It  was  hard  for  a  frank,  generous,  benevolent  nature 
like  his  to  accommodate  itself  to  such  a  harsh  and 
narrow  creed ;  nay,  it  was  impossible  for  him  to 
be  thus  cramped  ;  hence,  though  he  held  in  theory  the 
doctrine  of  particular  election  and  a  limited  atone- 
ment in  practice,  his  heart  full  of  the  love  of  Christ 
and  perishing  sinners,  led  him  often  so  to  present  the 
mercy  of  Christ  through  the  gospel  as  to  bring  many 
to  repentance.  At  that  period  of  his  life  he  did  not 
doubt  the  doctrine  of  his  creed,  and  often  made  the 
common  yet  unsuc^cessful  effort  to  reconcile  the 
"  decrees  "  with  free  agency  ;  yet  he  loved  to  make  the 
offers  of  mercy  to  lost  men  in  the  terms  he  found  in 
the  Bible,  his  feelings  and  practice  thus  often  getting 
the  better  of  his  theology. 


FE.IA'S  FOR  Ills  CHILDREN.  1 37 

Some  of  his  mental  exercises  at  this  time  were  of 
a  most  painful  character  ;  and  years  after,  when  des- 
cribing how  he  came  to  be  emancipated  from  his  chill- 
ing creed,  he  thus  refers  to  them  :  "  I  used,"  said  he, 
"  to  take  my  little  children  on  my  knee,  and  to  look 
upon  them  as  they  played  in  harmless  innocence  about 
me,  and  wonder  which  of  them  was  to  be  finally  and 
forever  lost!"  "It  can  not  be,"  he  continued,  "that 
God  has  been  so  good  to  me  as  to  elect  all  my  chil- 
dren, before  time  began,  to  be  saved,  and  to  dwell  with 
him  in  love  forever  !  No,  no  !  I  am  myself  a  miracle 
of  mercy,  and  it  can  not  be  that  God  has  been  kinder 
to  me  than  to  all  other  parents.  Some  of  these  little 
ones  are,  then,  of  the  non-elect,  and  to  be  finally  ban- 
ished from  God  and  all  good.  And  now  (and  his 
paternal  heart  swelling  with  unutterable  emotions),  if 
I  only  knew  which  of  my  children  were  to  dwell  in 
everlasting  burnings,  Oh  how  kind  and  tender  would  I 
be  to  them,  knowing  that  all  the  comfort  they  would 
ever  experience  would  be  here  in  this  world  !  But  now 
I  see  the  gospel  admits  all  to  salvation  !  Now  I  can 
have  hope  of  every  one  for  eternal  happiness  !  Now 
I  can  pray  and  labor  for  them  in  hope  !" 

His  prayers  were  heard,  his  labors  blessed.  Years 
before  his  departure  he  enjoyed  that  greatest  bliss 
of  a  pious  parent's  heart — he  saw  all  his  children 
walking  in  the  truth. 

He  was  present  at  the  formation  of  the  Mahoning 
Association,  and  his  ability  as  a  preacher,  and  tact 
and  dignity  as  a  presiding  officer,  rendered  him  one 
of  its  most  prominent  members  during  its  entire  ex- 
istence. His  name  appears  on  the  records  of  every 
meeting  ;  he  was  often  chosen  Moderator,  and  deliv- 

12 


138  LIFE  OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCOTT. 

ered  the  opening  sermon  at  its  meeting  at  New  Lis- 
bon, in  August,  1827,  when  Walter  Scott  was  chosen 
and  sent  out  on  what  proved  to  be  such  an  important 
mission.  Owing  to  the  fact  that  he  soon  came  to  have 
clearer  views  of  the  plan  of  salvation  than  most  of 
the  Baptist  preachers  in  that  region,  as  a  consequence 
his  public  labors  were  attended  with  greater  success. 
At  one  of  the  meetings  one  hundred  and  three  con- 
versions were  reported  in  the  bounds  of  the  Associ- 
ation, and  of  these,  fifty-six,  or  more  than  half  the 
entire  number,  were  reported  by  the  Concord  church 
at  Warren,  of  which  he  was  at  that  time  pastor. 
When  perfectly  free  from  the  shackles  of  a  gloomy 
and  depressing  system,  he  labored  with  far  greater 
freedom  and  more  abundant  success.  It  was  to  him 
a  great  deliverance  to  be  able  to  offer,  without  any 
misgiving,  the  gospel  of  life  and  peace  to  all ;  and 
how  earnestly  and  effectually  he  did  so  thousands  can 
tell.  He  waited  not  for  opportunities  to  preach  this 
now  no  longer  terrible  but  glad  gospel  ;  but  burning 
with  zeal,  sought  and  made  them — in  school-houses, 
barns,  and  private  dwellings  ;  or,  as  was  frequently 
the  case,  in  the  forest  shades,  with  a  wagon-bed  for 
a  pulpit,  and  an  audience  swelling  at  times  to  thou- 
sands, with  all  the  simplicity  and  earnestness  of  the 
men  of  Galilee,  he  preached  the  same  message  which 
they  first  heralded  to  the  world.  "  As  a  preacher, 
like  all  men  who  leave  their  impression  on  society, 
he  was  like  no  one  else,  and  no  one  resembled  him. 
He  usually  began  slowly,  with  simple  and  plain  state- 
ments of  his  subject,  rambling  not  unfrequently,  till, 
warming  in  his  subject,  he  broke  the  shackles  of 
logic,  and  swept  on  like  a  swelling  tide,  bearing  his 


BKATLKY  AS  A  PREACHER.  I  39 

audience  away  with  the  pathos  and  vehemence  of  his 
earnest  and  commanding  oratory.  On  such  occasions 
his  voice  became  full,  sonorous,  and  powerful.  When 
the  shower  was  passed,  the  people  not  caring  to  an- 
alyze the  sermon,  or  to  trace'  their  emotions  to  logical 
sources,  were  delighted  and  edified,  and  departed 
with  marked  and  decided  respect  for  the  preacher, 
and  a  far  higher  reverence  for  the  adorable  Son  of 
God,  whom  he  preached  and  whom  he  served.  He 
never  trifled  in  the  pulpit.  His  message  was  solemn, 
and  seriously  and  earnestly  did  he  urge  it."  But  it 
was  not  in  the  pulpit  alone  that  his  influence  was  felt ; 
his  spotless  integrity  and  pure  walk  in  life  gave  force 
to  his  public  ministrations,  for  his  audience  knew 
that  they  were  listening  to  an  upright  and  good  man. 
We  need  not  here  mention  the  various  places  at 
which  he  labored,  nor  the  results  by  which  those 
labors  were  attended,  as  these  will  appear  in  "the 
course  of  the  narrative. 

His  powers  suffered  no  sad  eclipse,  but  his  sun 
came  to  a  golden  setting  ;  his  erect  form  bent  but 
slightly  when  on  the  verge  of  fourscore,  and  to  the 
same  extreme  old  age  he  was  able  to  preach  with 
clearness  and  vigor.  Nearly  his  last  words  were, 
"I  rely  not  on  myself;  my  full  and  only  hope  and 
trust  is  in  the  Rock,  Christ  Jesus,  which  was  cleft  for 
me.!" 


I40  LIFE  OF  ELDER   WAL7ER  SCOTT. 


CHAPTER    IX. 

Meetinc^  at  Austaitown — A.  S.   Ilayden   a  convert — Church  organized — 
John  Ilenry — Death  of  Joseph  Gaston, 

THE  year  1827-28  proved  to  be  a  year  of  battle 
and  of  victory.  Great  success  in  one  field  was 
the  harbinger  of  triumph  in  the  next,  and  after  the  suc- 
cessful issue  of  the  meeting  at  Warren,  Scott  was  so 
well  assured  of  the  power  of  the  primitive  gospel  to  sub- 
due the  heart,  that  wherever  he  went  he  now  preached 
without  the  least  misgiving,  and  boldly  called  on  his 
hearers  to  submit  to  the  claims  of  Christ  the  Lord. 
He  had  by  this  time  also  several  true  and  earnest 
fellow-laborers,  who  entered  into  the  work  with  all  the 
zeal  of  new  converts,  and  wherever  these  preach- 
ers of  the  ancient  faith  appeared,  the  truth  ran 
through  the  community  like  fire  through  dry  stubble. 
Chief  among  these  helpers  was  Elder  Bentley,  of 
whom  an  extended  notice  was  given  in  the  preced- 
ing chapter.  He  was  a  tower  of  strength  to  the 
infant  cause  ;  the  weight  of  his  character,  in  addition 
to  his  fine  pulpit  talent,  rendered  his  presence  greatly 
desirable  wherever  the  leaven  of  the  new  doctrine 
was  beginning  to  work,  especially  in  Baptist  com- 
munities, where  he  was  well  and  favorably  known, 
and  who  were  anxious  to  learn  from  his  own  lips  the 
reasons  which  had  led  him  to  give  up  the  cherished 
convictions  of  a  lifetime. 


JOHN  II K  A  'R  Y  BA  P  TIZED.  1 4 1 

Scott  was  a  stranger  ;  his  fiery  zeal  to  some  seemed 
wild  enthusiasm,  and  his  entire  absorption  in  his 
theme  made  him  at  times  eccentric  ;  but  the  Baptists 
had  ever  looked  on  Bentlcy  as  their  safest  and  best 
man  ;  no  one  imagined  that  he  could  be  turned 
hither  and  thither  by  every  wind  of  doctrine  :  and 
hence,  from  his  known  integrity  and  soundness  of 
judgment,  he  was  heard  without  that  prejudice  with 
which  Scott,  as  a  stranger,  had  every-vvhere  to  con- 
tend. The  visits  of  Bentley  would  most  admirably 
prepare  for  the  coming  of  Scott ;  and  w^hen  the  for- 
mer had  disarmed  them  of  all  prejudice,  the  latter 
would  join  him  and  take  entire  communities  by  storm. 
Thus  it  was  at  Austintown.  Bentley  sent  an  ap- 
pointment in  the  latter  part  of  February  to  preach  at 
a  school-house  there,  in  which  Wm.  Hayden,  who 
afterwards  became  so  famous,  was  then  teaching.  At 
the  close  of  his  first  discourse  a  young  man  presented 
himself  for  baptism,  which  created  quite  a  stir.  As 
the  school-house  was  occupied  during  the  day,  preach- 
ing was  announced  for  the  next  day  at  a  private  house 
in  the  neighborhood.  A  large  number  assembled, 
and  nine  converts  were  made,  among  whom  was  one 
who  soon  became  a  successful  advocate  of  the  truth 
which  he  that  day  received.  This  was  John  Henry. 
His  wife  was  baptized  at  the  same  time. 

Such  a  favorable  opening  having  been  made,  it  was 
thought  best  to  follow  it  up,  and  Scott  therefore  sent 
an  appointment  for  March  the  19th — which  was  about 
the  middle  of  the  week.  The  preacher  came,  and  was 
greeted  by  a  fine  audience  ;  and  at  the  close  of  the 
discourse^which  was  in  the  day-time — five  persons 
came  forward  for  baptism,  among  them  the  now  well- 


142  LIFE  OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCOTT. 

known  and  much  beloved  A.  S.  Hayden,  and  an  elder 
brother.  The  discourse,  as  yet  well  remembered  by 
Bro.  Hayden,  was  a  highly  practical  one  ;  the  speaker 
knew  that  he  had  some  fine  material  before  him,  and 
he  drove  right  at  the  hearts  of  his  hearers.  His 
chief  points  were,  that  God  was  ready  to  receive  sin- 
ners ;  that  he  had  ever  been  willing,  and  that  this 
willingness  was  made  known  through  the  gospel, 
which  was  fully  proclaimed  on  the  day  of  Pentecost, 
and  that  the  door  was  there  opened  which  none  can 
shut.  He  urged  instant  obedience,  declaring  that 
God  was  ready  and  willing  to  meet  and  receive  the 
sinner  the  moment  he  was  ready  to  accept  his  offered 
grace.  He  preached  again  at  night,  and  the  house 
was  densely  crowded  ;  he  called  the  young  converts — 
five  in  number — to  the  front  seat,  and  addressed 
them  earnestly  and  tenderly  with  reference  to  the  ob- 
ligations they  were  about  to  assume  in  making  a  pro- 
fession of  religion  and  entering  upon  the  duties  of 
a  new  life.  The  next  day,  with  heart  all  aflame,  he 
again  preached,  if  possible,  with  increased  zeal  and 
energy,  invited  others  to  obedience,  and  immersed 
twelve  persons.  The  interest  grew  and  increased  ; 
many  converts  were  made  ;  some  opposition  was  ex- 
cited, but  the  meetings  were  continued  for  a  week  or 
more,  and  the  results  of  those  days  and  nights  of 
faithful  and  earnest  toil  no  tongue  can  tell.  The 
youthful  Hayden,  who  was  one  of  its  first-fruits,  soon 
began  to  point  others  to  the  Savior.  Scores  and  hun- 
dreds have  been  won  to  Christ  by  his  earnest  and 
faithful  labor  ;  and  though  more  than  forty  years  have 
fled  since  then,  he  is  still  effectively  pointing  sinners 
to  the  Lamb  of  God. 


A  PRIMITIVE  SCENE.  I43 

About  the  middle  of  June  of  the  same  year,  Elders 
Scott  and  Bentley  returned,  and  from  the  material 
gathered  in  by  their  previous  labors,  and  the  l^aptists 
who  were  willing  to  take  the  Bible  as  the  only  guide, 
they  constituted  the  church  at  Austintown.  The 
whole  number  was  one  hundred  and  ten,  of  whom 
*about  two-thirds  were  new  converts.  The  exercises 
at  the  organization  were  marked  by  great  impres- 
siveness  and  primitive  simplicity.  Under  the  bright 
June  skies,  with  the  green  of  earth  under  them,  and 
the  blue  of  heaven  above,  this  company  of  true  and 
happy  believers,  taking  each  other  by  the  hand,  formed 
a  large  circle,  in  an  opening  of  which  of  about  ten 
feet  stood  the  preachers,  under  whose  labors  they  had 
been  brought  to  the  knowledge  and  obedience  of  the 
truth,  who  counseled  and  exhorted  them,  as  they  had 
received  Christ  to  walk  in  him  ;  and  while  the  con- 
verts gave  themselves  to  the  Lord  and  to  one 
another,  with  prayers  and  tears,  the  preachers  com- 
mended the  infant  church  to  God  and  to  the  word 
of  his  grace. 

Sweet  were  the  songs  of  that  day  ;  earnest  and 
tender  the  exhortations  ;  fervent  and  soul-moving  the 
prayers  :  and  dear  memories  of  it  yet  linger  in  the 
minds  of  those  who  formed  that  company,  and  their 
hearts  were  never  more  glad  than  then. 

Under  the  teaching  of  Wm.  Hayden  the  congrega- 
tion grew  and  prospered,  and  in  a  short  time  one  of 
the  early  converts  developed  powers  which  soon 
ripened  into  a  life  of  glorious  toil  and  usefulness. 
This  was  John  Henry,  whose  name  is  to  this  day  a 
household  word  all  over  the  Western  Reserve.  He 
was  a  Pennsylvanian  by  birth,  having  been  born  in 


144  LIFE  OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCOTT. 

Washington  County,  in  that  State,  in  1797.  He  was 
brought  up  under  Presbyterian  training,  but  never 
rcahzed  the  power  and  beauty  of  Christ's  gospel 
until  he  heard  it  presented  by  Elder  Bentley  ;  his 
heart  was  won  by  it  at  once,  and  it  never  ceased  to 
exercise  its  power  over  him  until  his  end  came  in 
peace.  • 

He  was  at  the  time  of  his  conversion  a  plain,  in- 
dustrious farmer  ;  distinguished,  however,  by  a  ready 
natural  wit  and  a  musical  talent,  which  was  truly 
wonderful.  On  wind  and  stringed  instruments  he 
was  a  ready  player,  and  sang  with  fine  taste  and 
feeling  ;  and  even  composed  music  with  ease.  When 
the  Bible  was  substituted  for  creed  and  catechism,  he 
eagerly  devoted  himself  to  its  study,  and  with  such 
success  that  few  men  ever  became  more  familiar  with 
its  language.  His  knowledge  of  it  was  so  full  and 
accurate  that  he  was  said  to  have  committed  the 
whole  inspired  volume  to  memory,  and  was  commonly 
spoken  of  as  the  Bible  with  a  tongue  in  it,  or  the 
Walking  Bible  ;  one  thhig,  however,  is  certain,  he 
could  quote,  without  the  least  hesitancy  or  mistake, 
all  the  passages  upon  any  given  subject,  at  the  same 
time  giving  chapter  and  verse,  and  could  recite  at 
will  chapters  from  the  Old  or  New  Testament,  from 
the  Gospels,  Epistles,  Prophets,  or  Psalms,  with  the 
greatest  facility  ;  and,  in  addition  to  this,  he  seemed 
to  have  a  clear  conception  of  the  scope  and  meaning 
of  the  whole.  He  was  quick  at  repartee,  and  the  ob- 
ject of  it  had  never  to  weary  himself  to  find  the  point 
of  the  retort — that  was  always  felt. 

On  one  occasion  some  rude  fellows  made  a  dis- 
turbance at  a  baptism  when  he  was  present,  and  he 


THE  FARMER  PREACHER.  145 

felt  impelled  to  reprove  them,  which  he  did  with  such 
force  and  vigor,  that  many  who  were  present  discov- 
ered in  him  the  elements  of  a  successful  public 
speaker  ;  the  result  was,  that  he  was  called  upon  to 
speak  at  the  meetings  of  the  church,  and  in  a  short 
time  his  success  exceeded  the  most  sanguine  hopes 
of  his  friends.  He  did  not  seem  to  have  thought 
himself  possessed  of  any  such  ability ;  but  as  soon 
as  it  became  evident,  he  lost  no  opportunity  of  useful- 
ness. He  supported  himself  by  the  labor  of  his 
hands  ;  and  when  his  labors  were  demanded  in  the 
gospel  field,  he  only  required  that  a  man  should  be 
put  in  his  place  to  do  the  customary  work  on  the 
farm,  and  he,  in  the  meantime,  would  labor  quite  as 
faithfully  in  the  pulpit  and  from  house  to  house. 

His  utterance  was  exceeding  rapid,  and  yet  at  the 
same  time  perfectly  distinct  ;  and  the  great  power  of 
his  oratory  was  the  clearness  with  which  he  set  forth 
his  views,  and  the  deep  and  unaffected  earnestness 
of  his  manners.  He  was  well  acquainted  with  the  va- 
rious religious  systems  of  the  day,  and  in  his  exposure 
of  departures  from  the  Word  of  God  and  the  substi- 
tution of  human  inventions,  he  often  reminded  his 
hearers  of  the  prophets  who  reproved  the  Israelites 
for  their  departures  from  the  law  of  their  God.  His 
powers  rapidly  developed  with  exercise,  and  his 
services  were  demanded  to  an  extent  beyond  his 
utmost  exertions — he  was  obliged,  in  a  measure,  to 
give  up  his  farm  life  and  devote  himself  to  sowing 
the  good  seed  of  the  Kingdom,  which  he  did  so  suc- 
cessfully that  many  in  whose  hearts  the  good  seed 
fell,  to  this  day  thank  God  for  his  faithful  and  earnest 
labors. 

13 


146  LIFE  OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCOTT. 

In  person  he  was  tall,  spare  of  flesh,  and  angular, 
but  possessed  of  wonderful  powers  of  endurance  ; 
his  garb  was  always  of  the  very  plainest,  suggestive, 
indeed,  of  apostolic  simplicity  ;  he  was  untiring  in  his 
labors,  quick  to  decide,  and  prompt  to  act  ;  his  in- 
fluence on  the  church  and  community  was  very  de- 
cided ;  and  even  now,  though  he  has  gone  to  his  rest 
nearly  thirty  years  ago,  the  surviving  members  of  the 
church  at  Austintown  still  say,  when  special  counsel 
and  action  are  needed,  **  Oh  !  how  we  miss  John 
Henry  !" 

He  showed  eminent  ability  in  his  conduct  of  the  big 
meetings  over  which  he  at  times  was  called  to  preside  ; 
under  his  management  an  audience  of  from  five  to 
eight  thousand  would  be  kept  in  ^perfect  order :  a 
general  could  not  have  held  his  forces  better  in  hand 
than  he  did  the  masses  that  would  gather  on  those 
occasions.  Nothing  was  omitted,  nothing  was  forgot- 
ten :  preserving  order,  singing,  preaching,  exhorting, 
filling  appointments  in  every  available  place  in  a  cir- 
cle of  ten  or  fifteen  miles — all  was  dispatched  with 
ease.  He  spoke,  and  it  was  a  word  of  command,  and 
seldom  failed  in  eliciting  cheerful  obedience. 

Time  was  precious  ;  no  opportunity  was  given  for 
apology  or  excuse.  At  one  of  these  meetings,  when 
thirty  or  forty  preachers  were  present,  and  it  was  de- 
sirable to  have  a  few  words  from  as  many  as  possible, 
one  who  was  called  on  began  by  saying,  '*  Well,  breth- 
ren, I  do  not  know  that  I  have  any  thing  to  say." 
**  Very  well,"  said  Henry,  "  take  your  seat,  brother," 
and  called  out  for  another,  who  was  careful  to  avoid 
the  rock  of  apology  on  which  the  other  was  wrecked. 

In  preaching,  he. had  a  rare  and  happy  command 


IIE.yRY'S  MENTAL  AND  MORAL   TRAITS.       1 4/ 

of  his  resources  ;  he  could  generalize  rapidly  ;  and 
this  power,  with  his  astonishing  memory,  enabled 
him  to  bri^Jg  together  from  the  various  parts  of 
Scripture,  all  that  was  said  on  a  particular  topic  :  and, 
indeed,  his  discourses  often  consisted  almost  exclu- 
sively of  Scripture,  in  which  the  various  passages 
were  brought  together  in  such  a  way  as  to  produce  a 
very  striking  effect.  He  made  the  Bible  its  own 
interpreter  ;  and  if  he  needed  an  illustration,  the  same 
volume  furnished  him  with  one  admirably  suited  to 
the  case  in  hand. 

On  several  occasions  he  took  part  in  public  debates, 
in  which  he  was  very  skillful  and  successful — his  suc- 
cess was  doubtless  brought  about  by  the  fact  that  he 
arrayed  before  his  hearers  all  the  Scripture  evidence 
on  the  point  in  dispute — leaving  nothing  more  to  be 
said  ;  as  to  dispute  his  positions,  would  be  to  deny 
the  sacred  record.  His  mental  and  moral  traits  were 
all  positive  ;  the  sincerity  of  his  profession  was  proved 
by  his  sterling  integrity  and  purity  of  life.  Among  the 
common  people,  of  whom  he  always  regarded  himself 
as  one,  he  was  held  in  the  highest  esteem  ;  they  de- 
lighted to  hear  a  man  from  their  own  ranks  speak  to 
them  of  the  soul's  interests  in  a  manner  plain,  simple, 
and  earnest,  and  which  was  the  more  powerful  from 
the  fact  that  he  lived  continually  under  the  influence 
of  those  truths  which  he  so  earnestly  urged  upon 
them.  He  died  in  his  prime,  in  the  midst  of  his  use- 
fulness, there  being  but  an  interval  of  a  few  days  be- 
tween his  active  and  efficient  labors  in  the  cause  of 
his  Master  on  earth  and  his  rest  and  reward  above. 

From  this  period  for  some  time  to  come,  it  \\'A\  be 
impossible  to  preserve  the  strict  order  of  time  n\  con- 


148  LIFE  OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCOTT. 

sequence  of  the  many  changes  in  fields  of  labor, 
which  were  often  as  varied  as  the  passing  day. 
Morning  often  found  the  tireless  Scott  at  one  point, 
and  evening  at  another,  miles  away.  It  was  not  un- 
common for  him  to  occupy  the  court-house  or  school- 
house  in  the  morning  at  the  county  seat,  address  a 
large  assembly  in  some  great  grove  in  the  afternoon, 
and  have  the  private  dwelling,  which  gave  him  shelter, 
crowded  with  neighbors  at  night,  to  hear  him  before 
he  sought  his  needed  rest.  Sometimes  the  interest 
would  be  continued  until  midnight ;  and  in  those 
stirring  times  it  was  not  unusual  for  those  who,  on 
such  occasions,  felt  the  power  of  the  truth,  to  be 
baptized  before  the  morning  dawned.  For  months 
together  nearly  every  day  witnessed  new  converts  to 
the  truth;  several  ministers  of  various  denominations, 
fell  in  with  the  views  which  he  presented  with  such 
force  and  clearness,  and  these  in  turn  exerted  their 
influence  over  their  former  flocks,  and  led  them  to 
embrace  the  views  which  had  brought  such  comfort 
and  peace  to  their  own  souls. 

While  preaching  at  Hiram,  Portage  County,  a  Rev- 
olutionary colonel,  eighty-four  years  of  age,  rose  up 
in  the  midst  of  the  congregation,  and  pointing  with 
his  finger  to  the  parable  of  the  laborers  in  the  vine- 
yard, said  to  Mr.  Scott :  "  Sir,  shall  I  receive  a 
penny }  it  is  the  eleventh  hour."  "  Yes,"  was  the 
reply,  "  the  Lord  commands  it,  and  you  shall  receive 
a  penny."  The  audience  was  greatly  aftected,  and 
the  venerable  soldier  was  forthwith  enrolled  in  the 
army  of  the  faith. 

Another  gentleman,  still  living,  whom  the  writer 
met   but    a   short    time  since,  says,   that    though   a 


//  MEETING  IX  THE   WOODS.  1 49 

Bible-reader,  he  had  sought  in  vain  for  a  church  that 
taught  as  his  Bible  read.  But  riding  along  the  public 
road  one  day,  he  saw  a  number  of  horses  tied  in  the 
woods,  a  great  crowd  gathered  and  some  one  address- 
ing them.  Without  being  aware  of  the  character  of 
the  meeting,  curiosity  led  him  to  turn  aside  and  see  ; 
when  he  came  nearer  he  found  that  it  was  a  religious 
meeting,  and  that  the  preacher  was  setting  forth  the 
gospel  just  as  it  had  ever  seemed  to  him  in  his  read- 
ings ;  and  before  the  speaker,  who  was  none  other 
than  Walter  Scott,  had  closed,  he  determined  that 
that  people  should  be  his  people,  and  their  God  his 
God,  and  to  that  resolve  he  has  been  true  more  than 
forty  years. 

In  several  of  his  meetings  about  this  time,  Scott 
was  helped  'by  the  presence  and  labors  of  Joseph 
Gaston,  a  preacher  of  the  Christian  connection,  who 
was  present  at  the  Association  the  previous  summer, 
and  gave  his  voice  in  favor  of  the  appointment  of 
Scott  as  general  evangelist.  He  was  a  young  man, 
quite  tall,  with  dark  hair  and  eyes,  and  agreeable 
features,  with  a  heart  full  of  sympathy  and  a  voice  of 
great  power.  He  and  Scott  were  mutually  attracted 
to  each  other,  and  their  acquaintance  resulted  in  a 
deep  and  strong  attachment,  which  was  only  broken 
too  soon  by  his  early  death.  He  was  gentle  and  re- 
tiring in  his  manners,  yet  bold  and  earnest  in  setting 
forth  the  claims  of  his  Master.  He  was  highly  gifted 
in  exhortation,  and  his  prayers  seemed  to  be  the 
natural  outpouring  of  a  warm  and  pious  heart.  Dif- 
fering in  his  religious  views  from  Scott  when  they 
first  met,  he  soon  learned  to  regard  the  teaching  of 
the  Scriptures  in  the  same  light  as  his  gifted  friend, 


150  LIFE  OF  ELDER  WALTER  SCOTT. 

who  excelled  most  men  of  his  time  in  a  knowledge  of 
and  reverence  for  the  sacred  record.  The  beauty  and 
order  of  the  arrangement  of  its  truths  were  made 
clearer  than  ever  before  ;  and  this  new  light  he  gladly 
accepted  and  rejoiced  in  the  truth. 

Scott's  acquaintance  with  Gaston  often  brought 
him  into  contact  with  the  religious  body  of  which  he 
was  a  member  ;  and  great  numbers  of  them,  some- 
times nearly  entire  congregations,  at  once  accepted 
his  views,  for  which  they  were  already  prepared  by  an 
abandonment  of  creeds,  the  rejection  of  all  party 
names,  and  the  adoption  of  the  name  Christian  as  ex- 
pressive of  their  allegiance  to  Christ.  This  religious 
body,  it  may  be  well  to  state,  was  not  an  offshoot  of 
any  one  of  the  various  religious  parties  of  the  day, 
but  one  Composed,  originally,  of  those  who  had  broken 
off  from  the  Methodists,  Presbyterians,  and  Baptists, 
and  united  under  the  one  name  Christians,  by  which 
the  followers  of  Jesus  were  anciently  known.  The 
acquaintance  of  these  two  men  proved  a  great  bless- 
ing and  furtherance  to  the  cause,  but  it  was  not  of 
long  continuance  ;  the  career  of  Gaston  proved  to  be 
a  short  one,  but  the  end  was  in  great  peace.  Elder 
Scott,  after  hearing  of  his  death,  thus  wrote  of  him  : 

"Joseph  Gaston  was  a  very  remarkable  man  on  several 
accounts.  His  innocence  and  sweet  disposition  endeared 
him  to  all  his  acquaintances ;  and  his  strong  faith  and  ex- 
cellent talents  made  him  a  most  acceptable  minister  in  the 
church  wlien  his  health  permitted  the  exercise  of  his  various 
gifts,  for  he  had  the  gifts  of  teaching  and  exhorting  in  an 
eminent  degree ;  and  was,  until  he  was  seized  with  hemor- 
rhage at  the  lungs,  a  very  good  singer. 

"  When    he   opened    the    Evangelists   or   Epistles    and 


SCO  7T\S  ESTIMA  TE  OF  GASTON.  I  5  I 

poured  himself  out  on  their  sacred  pages,  no  man  of  equal 
education  excelled  him ;  but  exhortation  was  his  forte,  and 
in  this  I  never  knew  any  man  who  equaled  him.  He  exer- 
cised the  most  powerful  influence  over  the  congregation 
when  he  remonstrated,  and  with  much  variety  of  thought 
his  exhortations  were  distinguished  for  unity  in  their  sub- 
ject. 

.''He  accompanied  me  in  1827,  soon  after  the  restora- 
tion of  the  true  gospel,  and  shared  with  me  for  about  three 
weeks  in  the  labors  and  difficulties  of  the  onerous  business 
of  introducing  to  public  notice  the  gospel  of  Christ  as 
now  held  by  this  Reformation. 

"  The  circumstances  which  made  him  acquainted  with 
the  ancient  gospel  at  that  time  are  a  little  singular  and 
worth  relating.  He  visited  Carthage  about  two  years  ago, 
and  entertained  Bro.  Rogers'  family  one  evening  with  a 
recital  of  his  conversion  to  it,  and  brought  again  to  mind 
things  that  had  almost  escaped  recollection. 

*'I  had  appointed  a  certain  day  in  which  to  break  bread 
with  the  Baptist  Church  at  Salem.  Bro.  Gaston  was  a  resi- 
dent of  Columbiana  County,  and  was  at  that  time  in  the 
vicinity  of  Salem.  The  Baptist  brethren  regarded  him  as  a 
good  man  and  a  true  disciple ;  but  he  was  a  Christian  or 
Newlight,  and  contended  for  open  communion — things 
which  they  greatly  disliked.  Before  meeting,  the  principal 
brethren  requested  me  to  converse  with  him  on  the  subject, 
saying  they  were  sure  I  could  convert  him. 

**  Accordingly  I  took  him  out  in  presence  of  them  all  ; 
but  he  gave  me  no  time,  being  as  impatient  and  undoubt- 
ing  on  open  communion  as  they  were  then  on  close  com- 
munion. I  told  him,  however,  that  the  brethren  had  com- 
missioned me  to  convert  him  to  their  opinions,  and  smiled. 
He  said  he  had  come  to  convert  me  to  his. 

"I  then  set  before  him  the  terms  of  the  ancient  gospel 
as  I  had  arranged  them,  and  told  him  that  their  dispute 
about  communion  was  silly  and  unprofitable.      He  heard 


15^  LIFE  OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCOTT. 

me  with  delight.  I  appealed  to  the  Scriptures,  and  he 
smiled  ;  and  soon,  with  a  laugh,  he  exclaimed,  '■  It  is  all 
true  !  and  I  believe  every  word  of  it,  and  will  take  you  to 
a  Christian  brother  who  will  receive  it  in  a  moment  !' 

"  After  meeting  1  accompanied  him  to  the  house  of  said 
brother,  living  a  mile  and  a  half  from  the  village;  and  the 
man  and  his  wife  hearing  it,  and  examining  the  Scriptures, 
received  it  with  all  readiness  that  same  nighi  \  so  that  on 
that  day  were  brought  over  to  the  side  of  the  gospel  two 
excellent  men,  both  laborers  among  the  '  Christians.' 

"  Bro.  Caston  accompanied  me  to  New  Lisbon,  and  two 
or  three  other  places;  but  his  health  failed  him  at  the  end 
of  about  three  weeks,  and  his  place  was  supplied  by  James 
Mitchel,  who  accompanied  me  to  Warren,  v,here  the  gospel 
greatly  succeeded. 

'■'■  Thus  Bro.  Gaston  was  the  very  first  Christian  minister 
who  received  the  gospel  after  its  restoration,  and  who 
argued  for  the  remission  of  sins  by  baptism.  His  enfeebled 
health,  however,  never  permitted  him  to  labor  much.  He 
was  immersed  for  remission  at  a  general  meeting  held  at 
Austintown  two  years  after.  He  now  rests  with  all  the 
just  until  the  resurrection.  His  life  was  righteous;  his 
death  was  glorious." 

The  closing  scene  of  this  good  man  is  thus  de- 
scribed by  one  who  was  present : 

''Beloved  Bro.  Scott:  Few  persons  will  hear  the  cir- 
cumstance which  I  am  about  to  relate  with  emotions  such 
as  you  must  feel.  I  grieve  for  a  departed  brother  in  the 
Lord ;  you  for  a  companion  and  fellow-laborer  in  the  gos- 
pel, one  \\\\o  stood  by  you  under  circumstances  the  most 
trying  and  impressive,  at  a  tin^e  when  you  alone,  amidst  all 
opposition,  faced  a  frowning  world.  I  allude  to  Bro. 
Joseph  Gaston — he  sleeps  in  peace — his  sorrows  are  no 
more  ! 


DEATH  OF  JOSEPH  GASTON.  1 53 

''  Being  aware  of  liis  approaching  dissolution,  he  re- 
quested me  to  inform  you  of  it.  The  sensations  which  his 
departure  produced  in  me  and  all  present  can  not  be  im- 
parted to  others,  nor  can  they  ever  be  forgotten.  It  was, 
indeed,  singularly  impressive. 

"  He  was,  as  you  know,  predisposed  to  hemorrhage 
from  the  lungs  ;  his  last  illness  commenced  in  this  way.  I 
was  with  him  from  Thursday,  4th,  until  his  death,  which 
occurred  on  Saturday. 

'*  Before  day  I  was  called  to  his  bedside.  His  glazed 
eye,  cold  extremities,  laborious  breathing,  and  feeble  pulse, 
assured  me  that  the  lamp  of  life  was  nearly  extinguished. 
He  lay  in  this  situation  a  length  of  time  unable  to  speak, 
or  lift  his  hands.  AVhile  w^e  expected  every  breath  to  be 
his  last,  suddenly,  to  the  astonishment  of  all  present,  his 
countenance  lighted  up  by  a  placid  smile;  he  began  to 
raise  his  cold  and  lifeless  hands  to  heaven,  and  exclaimed  : 
'Glory  to  God!  O  my  Savior,  thou  hast  delivered  me!' 
His  eyes,  which  w^ere  set  in  death,  sparkled  with  joy,,  and 
beamed  with  an  expression  which  language  can  not  de- 
scribe. Afj:er  continuing  these  exclamations  a  few  minutes 
his  breathing  became  free,  and  his  voice  shrill  and  loud. 
He  then  addressed  us  thus  :  *  My  friends,  a  dying  man 
could  not  do  as  I  am  doing ;  this  strength  is  not  my  own  ; 
the  hand  of  the  Lord  is  in  this  matter :  he  has  enabled  me 
in  this  last  extremity  to  bear  testimony  to  the  truth.  The 
devil  tempted  me  and  tried  me,  but  the  Lord  vanquished 
him  and  gave  me  the  victory.  This  night  I'll  be  with 
Jesus.  Some  people  have  called  me  a  mud-dabbler,  but 
that  matters  not  to  me;  judgment  belongs  to  the  Lord: 
he  will  recompense  them.  I  plead  for  baptism — for 
the  remission  of  sins  in  my  lifetime,  and  I  plead  for  it  in 
death. 

"  '  O  sinners  !  tremble  for  that  which  awaits  you  if  you 
do  not  obey  the  Lord  !     Let  not  tradition  deceive  you.     I 


154  J- ^^''^   <~^J''  ^ J- ^^' /^'    / r.-/ Z  7 'ER  SCO TT. 

tried  it,  but  found  it  to  be  a  delusion.  My  eyes  were 
opened  b)»  reading  the  Word  of  God.  It  means  what  it 
says ;  beHeve  and  obey  it,  for  nothing  else  will  save  you. 
Repent  a?td  be  immersed  in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ  for  the 
remission  of  sins,  or  God  will  sweep  you  off  with  the  besom 
of  destruction.  Young  people,  tell  your  parents  these 
things,  and  parents  tell  them  to  your  children  ;  tell  the 
neighborhood;  tell  the  territory.'  He  then  exhorted  us 
to  try,  by  some  means,  to  get  the  people  out  to  hear  the 
gospel.  He  continued  his  speech  in  a  loud  and  clear 
voice,  during  twenty  minutes,  using  his  hands  with  free- 
dom, and  speaking  with  more  animation  than  ever  I  heard 
him  do  in  his  usual  state  of  health.  When  he  ceased,  his 
children  were  brought  to  him,  whom  he  embraced  affection- 
ately. His  hands  fell  powerless  by  his  side,  his  breathing 
became  laborious  as  before,  and  he  expired  in  ten  minutes." 


sccrry's  vjews  misuxderstood.  155 


CHAPTER    X. 


Scott's  views  misunderstood — Bishop  Hobart's  views  of  baptism — Thomas 
Campbell  visits  the  scene  of  Scott's  labors — Meeting  at  Sharon,  and 
results. 


AS  might  have  been  expected,  the  labors  and  suc- 
cess of  Scott  aroused  great  inquiry  and  opposi- 
tion, and  the  wildest  rumors  were  circulated  with 
regard  to  the  course  he  pursued,  the  great  peculiarity 
of  which  was,  that  it  differed  widely  from  that  which 
had  hitherto  been  the  rule  in  all  attempts  at  conver- 
sion. Many  supposed  that,  in  connecting  baptism 
in  some  way  with  the  remission  of  sins,  that  he  at- 
tributed to  water  a  virtue  kindred  to  the  blood  of 
Christ,  and  therefore  concluded  that  all  the  sinner 
had  to  do  was  to  be  immersed,  while  he  really  re- 
garded it  as  an  act  of  obedience  expressive  of  perfect 
trust  in  Christ  for  pardon,  as  an  acceptance  of  the 
offer  made  in  the  gospel  to  all  who  truly  believed  and 
turned  away  from  their  sins. 

The  Anxious-seat  of  the  Presbyterians,  the  Mourn- 
ing-bench of  the  Methodists,  and  the  Experience  of 
the  Baptists,  all  had  the  same  object  in  view,  and  had 
usurped  the  place,  in  a  great  measure,  of  Christian 
baptism.  This  was  admitted  very  near  the  times  of 
which  we  write,  by  the  Rev.  Dr.  Finney,  an  eminent 
Congregationalist,  in  urging  the  necessity  of  the 
anxious-seat  to  bring  the  mind  up  to  the  acting  point, 
in  the  following  language  :  "  The  Church  has  always 


156  LIFE  OF  ELDER  WALTER  SCOTT. 

felt  it  necessary  to  have  something  of  this  kind  to 
answer  this  purpose.  In  the  days  of  the  apostles 
baptism  answered  this  purpose.  The  gospel  was 
preached  to  the  people,  and  then  all  who  were  willing 
to  be  on  the  side  of  Christ  were  called  on  to  be  bap- 
tized. It  held  the  precise  place  that  the  anxious- 
seat  does  now,  as  a  public  manifestation  of  their 
determination  to  be  Christians."  The  Rev.  Doctor, 
with  singular  unconsciousness  of  the  destructive 
nature  of  his  argument,  condemns  those  who  would 
stand  up,  or  lean  their  heads  on  the  pew  before  them, 
to  signify  their  willingness  to  be  Christians,  as  at- 
tempting to  evade  their  duty  by  substituting  these 
acts  for  that  of  coming  to  the  anxious-seat,  forgetting 
that  he  had  made  the  admission,  virtually,  that  com- 
ing to  the  anxious-seat  was  an  evasion  of  baptism, 
which  was  required  under  the  teachings  of  the 
apostles. 

Elder  Scott,  some  time  after  this,  explained  his 
views  of  the  nature  of  baptism  in  some  remarks 
made  on  the  following  extract  from  Bishop  Hobart, 
of  New  York,  in  regard  to  this  matter.  The  words 
of  the  Bishop  are  : 

''In  this  church  the  body  which  derives  life,  strength, 
and  salvation  from  Christ  its  head,  baptism  was  instituted 
as  the  sacred  rite  of  admission.  In  this  regenerating  or- 
dinance, fallen  man  is  born  again  from  a  state  of  con- 
demnation to  a  state  of  grace.  He  obtains  a  title  to  the 
presence  of  the  Holy  Spirit ;  to  the  forgiveness  of  sins ; 
to  all  those  precious  and  immortal  blessings  which  the 
blood  of  Christ  purchased. 

"Wherever  the  gospel  is  promulgated,  the  only  mode 
by  which  we  can  be  admitted  into  covenant  with  God  ; 


BISHOP  HOB  A  N  T'S   VIE  WS.  1 5  / 

the  only  mode  through  which  we  can  obtain  a  title  to 
those  blessings  and  privileges  which  Christ  has  purchased 
for  his  mystical  body,  the  church,  is  the  sacrament  of  bap- 
tism. Repentance,  faith,  and  obedience,  will  not  of  them- 
selves be  effectual  to  our  salvation.  We  may  sincerely  re- 
pent of  our  sins,  heartily  believe  the  gospel ;  we  may  walk 
in  the  path  of  holy  obedience,  but  until  we  enter  into  cov- 
enant with  God  by  baptism,  and  ratify  our  vows  of  al- 
legiance and  duty  at  the  holy  sacrament  of  the  Supper — 
commemorate  the  mysterious  sacrifice  of  Christ — we  can 
not  assert  any  claim  to  salvation." 

Upon  which  Scott  comments  as  follows  : 

"The  excellent  Bishop  makes  baptism  the  rite  of  ad- 
mission to  the  Christian  church,  regeneration,  a  title  to 
remission  and  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  to  all  the  precious 
things  of  Christ.  He  says  it  is  the  only  mode  of  covenant- 
ing with  God ;  the  only  mode  of  obtaining  Christian  bless- 
ings and  privileges,  without  which  we  can  not  assert  any 
claim  to  salvation.  Now,  in  all  this  where  is  it  that  the 
Bishop  is  at  fault  ?  Is  not  baptism  the  rite  of  admission  ? 
Or  are  men  in  the  Christian  church  antecedently  to  their 
baptism?  Does  not  the  Son  of  the  Eternal  protest  that, 
unless  we  are  '  born  of  water  and  spirit '  we  can  not  enter 
into  his  kingdom?  And  is  this  regeneration  which  the 
Bishop  speaks  of  a  higher  and  more  sacred  mystery  in  the 
Christian  institute  than  'being  born  again?'  Or  are  they 
not  the  same  thing?  Surely  they  are  the  very  same  thing. 
Does  any  one  know  any  other  mode  appointed  for  poor 
sinful,  fallen  man,  to  covenant  with  his  God,  and  obtain  a 
right  to  the  privileges  of  Christianity?  We  know  none; 
and  believe  that,  when  preceded  hy  faith  and  repentance, 
baptism  is  all  that  the  Bishop  says  it  is;  and  with  the 
bishop  we  also  believe,  tliat  without  it  faith  and  repentance 
do  not  warrant  a  man  in  the  presence  of  God   '  to  assert 


158  LIFE  OF  ELDER   WALTFR  SCOTT. 

any  claim  to  salvation.'  Moreover,  we  believe  that  bap- 
tism without  faith  and  repentance  is  just  as  unavailing  and 
useless  as  faith  and  repentance  are  without  it.  These  three 
things  God  has  joined  together,  and  no  man  may  put 
asunder  or  disorder  them." 

And  yet  for  teaching  what  the  great  majority  of  the 
Christian  world  admit,  in  theory  at  least,  and  what  is 
taught  in  the  Word  of  God  most  clearly,  he  was  rep- 
resented as  the  author  of  an  hitherto  unheard-of  and 
soul- destroying  heresy.  These  rumors  reached  the 
ears  of  his  friend  and  fellow-laborer  in  the  cause  of 
religious  reform,  Alexander  Campbell,  who  fearing 
that  Mr.  Scott  might  have  been  carried  by  his  en- 
thusiastic nature  beyond  the  bounds  of  prudence, 
sent  his  father,  a  man  of  rare  wisdom  and  judgment, 
to  find  out  the  true  state  of  the  case.  This  vener- 
able and  pious  man  visited  the  scene  of  Scott's  labors 
in  the  spring  of  1828,  and,  after  carefully  observing 
the  course  he  pursued,  sent  the  following  account  of 
it  to  his  son  : 

"  I  perceive  that  theory  and  practice  in  religion,  as  well 
as  in  other  things,  are  matters  of  distinct  consideration. 
It  is  one  thing  to  know  concerning  the  art  of  fishing — for 
instance,  the  rod,  the  line,  the  hook,  and  the  bait,  too; 
and  quite  another  thing  to  handle  them  dextrously  when 
thrown  into  the  water,  so  as  to  make  it  take.  We  have 
long  known  the  former  (the  theory),  and  have  spoken  and 
published  many  things  correctly  concerning  the  ancient 
gospel,  its  simplicity  and  perfect  adaptation  to  the  present 
state  of  mankind,  for  the  benign  and  gracious  purposes  of 
his  immediate  relief  and  complete  salvation  ;  but  I  must 
confess  that,  in  respect  to  the  direct  exhibition  and  appli- 
cation of  it  for  that  blessed  purpose,  I  am  at  present  for  the 


r.  CAMPBELL  VISITS  SCO rr.  159 

first  time  upon  the  ground  where  the  thing  has  appeared 
to  \>Q  practically  exhibited  io  the  proper,  purpose.  'Com- 
pel them  to  come  in,'  saith  our  Lord,  '  that  my  house  may 
be  filled.'" 

With  regard  to  Scott's  mode  of  obtaining  and  sep- 
arating disciples,  he  added  : 

'*  Mr.  Scott  has  made  a  bold  push  to  accomplish  this 
object,  by  simply  and  boldly  stating  the  ancient  gospel, 
and  insisting  upon  it ;  and  then  by  putting  the  question 
generally  and  particularly  to  males  and  females,  old  and 
young.  Will  you  come  to  Christ  and  be  baptized  for  the 
remission  of  your  sins  and  the  gift  of  the  Holy  Spirit  ? 
Don't  you  believe  this  blessed  gospel?  Then  come  away. 
This  elicits  a  personal  conversation  ;  some  confess  faith  in 
the  testimony,  beg  time  to  think ;  others  consent,  give 
their  hands  to  be  baptized  as  soon  as  convenient ;  others 
debate  the  matter  friendly ;  some  go  straight  to  the  water, 
be  it  day  or  night,  and  upon  the  whole  none  appear  of- 
fended." 

Fully  approving  all  that  he  heard  and  saw,  the 
elder  Campbell  spent  several  months  in  Scott's  field 
of  labor,  and  most  heartily  co-operated  with  him,  and 
contributed  much  to  his  success,  as  will  appear  in  the 
sequel. 

The  next  scene  of  the  evangelical  labors  of  Elder 
Scott  was  at  Sharon,  a  small  village  in  Mercer 
County,  Pennsylvania,  situated  on  the  Shenango 
River,  and  almost  on  the  line  between  that  State 
and  the  portion  of  Ohio  in  which  the  principles  of 
the  Reformation  had  lately  spread  so  rapidly.  The 
Baptist  Churches  at  Warren  and  Hubbard,  only  a  few 
miles  distant,  had  embraced  the  new  views  almost  in 


l6o  LIFE  OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCOTT. 

a  body,  so  generally,  indeed,  that  both  houses  of 
worship  passed -quietly  into  the  hands  of  the  Dis- 
ciples ;  and  in  the  case  of  Warren,  as  previously 
noted,  not  only  the  greater  part  of  the  congregation, 
but  the  preacher  also  accepted  the  truth  so  ably  and 
eloquently  urged  by  Scott,  and  became  himself  an 
earnest  and  successful  advocate  of  the  same.  Some 
of  the  Sharon  Baptists  had  heard  of  the  great  change 
which  had  taken  place  in  the  two  sister  churches  ; 
some  of  the  members  had  even  gone  so  far  as  to 
visit  them,  and  could  find  no  well-founded  objections 
to  what  they  had  heard  stigmatized  as  heresy  ;  nay, 
it  seemed  to  them  strangely  like  gospel  truth  ;  and 
some  of  them  went  so  far  as  to  sit  down  at  the 
Lord's  Table  with  those  self-same  heretics. 

Prominent  among  these  was  John  McCleary,  at 
that  time  verging  upon  three-score  and  ,ten.  He  had 
been  a  member  of  the  church  at  Tubermore,  Ireland, 
which  so  long  had  enjoyed  the  labors  of  the  widely- 
known  Alexander  Carson,  as  was  also  his  son  George, 
who  was  accustomed  to  teach  the  Scriptures  pub- 
licly. His  son  Hugh,  a  clear-headed  and  honest 
thinker,  had  united  with  the  Baptists  in  this  country, 
but  held  views  greatly  in  advance  of  theirs.  Such  an 
element  in  the  church  of  course  soon  made  itself  felt. 
The  Scriptures  were  closely  searched,  and  the  light 
began  to  spread.  Suspicion  was  aroused — was  the 
hated  heresy  about  to  break  out  among  them  and 
destroy  their  peace  t  The  McClearys,  father  and 
son,  with  several  others,  were  soon  marked  men  ;  the 
views  they  held  were  assailed  and  loudly  condemned 
under  the  odious  name  of  Campbellism,  when  some 
one  suggested  that,  as  it  was  not  the  custom  to  con- 


SCOTT  AND  BEXTLEY  INVITED  TO  PREACH.       l6l 

demn.  without  a  hearing  in  ancient  times,  they  had 
better  send  for  the  public  advocates  of  the  new  doc- 
trine and  learn  the  best  or  worst  at  once.  This 
counsel  prevailed.  It  was  decided  to  invite  Scott 
and  Bentley  to  preach  at  Sharon,  and  as  soon  as  it 
was  decided,  Hugh  McCleary  mounted  his  horse  and 
rode  to  Warren  to  deliver  the  invitation  and  to  urge 
its  acceptance.  The  preachers  came  ;  in  a  day  or 
two  Bentley  returned,  leaving  Scott  to  continue  the 
meeting,  who  preached  every  night  for  three  weeks. 
Curiosity  was  aroused,  but  soon  a  deeper  interest 
began  to  prevail.  Some  of  his  hearers  having  the 
Word  of  God  presented  more  clearly  than  they  had 
ever  heard  it  before,  began  to  inquire,  "  Men  and 
brethren,  what  shall  we  do  T  The  inspired  answer 
was  given,  and,  in  response  to  the  gospel  invitation 
faithfully  and  affectionately  given,  several  persons 
presented  themselves  and  were  immediately,  on  the 
simple  profession  of  their  faith  in  Jesus  as  the  Son 
of  God,  immersed  in  the  Shenango  River. 

This  was  a  new  and  unprecedented  course  for  that 
place  and  time  ;  and  yet  the  preaching,  which  was 
mainly  from  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles,  seemed  so 
much  like  the  reading  of  that  book,  and  the  practice 
of  Elder  Scott  in  immersing  forthwith  those  who 
confessed  their  faith  in  the  Savior,  was  so  accordant, 
with  the  examples  found  in  the  inspired  volume,  that 
no  one  seemed  to  think  strange  of  what  the  Word 
of  God  seemed  so  clearly  to  warrant. 

After  Elder  Scott  had  left,  the  church  made  the 
discovery  that  the  converts  immersed  by  him,  although 
they  had  obeyed  the  express  teachings  of  Scripture, 
had  failed  to  conform  to  the  usages  of  the  Baptist 


1 62  LIFE  OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCOTT. 

Church  ;  they  had  not  appeared  before  a  church- 
meeting  ;  they  had  given  in  no  experience,  and  it 
was  decided  that  they  could  not  be  received  into  the 
church. 

But  there  was  another  serious  trouble  that  could 
not  be  so  easily  disposed  of.  They  could  keep  out 
the  new  converts,  who  had  never  been  formally  ad- 
mitted to  the  church  ;  but  what  was  to  be  done  with 
those  already  in  the  church,  who  had  received  with 
gladness  the  preaching  of  Bro.  Scott  as  the  truth  of 
God.  Some  of  these  were  the  most  influential  mem- 
bers, and,  moreover,  were  tolerant  of  the  views  held 
by  the  church.  As  they  had  formerly  held  the  same, 
they  desired,  of  course,  that  the  rest  should  see  as 
they  did  ;  but  they  did  not  attempt  to  force  their 
views  upon  the  church  ;  they  desired  to  be  permitted 
to  hold  them  in  peace,  however,  but  at  the  same  time 
did  not  want  to  be  bound  by  the  creed  and  church 
articles.  The  truth  had  made  them  free,  and  it  was 
impossible  to  submit  to  such  yokes  of  bondage.  All 
this  class  sympathized  with  the  new  converts,  who 
had  been  refused  admission  into  the  church.  In 
their  view,  if  the  Lord,  as  they  believed,  had  received 
them,  why  should  the  church  reject  whom  he  had  ac- 
cepted } 

Those  who  were  still  attached  to  Baptist  views 
were  of  a  different  spirit  ;  those  who  had  embraced 
the  new  views,  which,  in  their  esteem,  were  rank 
heresy,  must  either  yield  them  or  depart :  the  same 
church  could  not  be  the  home  of  those  who  differed 
so  widely.  This  seemed  to  them  a  bitter  alternative  ; 
and,  while  they  were  in  doubt  what  course  they  were 
to  pursue,  measures  were  taken  to  drive  them  to  the 


ELDER  CAMPBELL  SEXT  LOR.  1 63 

course  they  were  anxious  to  avoid.  As  a  last  resort, 
it  was  determined  to  send  for  Elder  Thomas  Camp- 
bell, whose  age,  experience,  and  truly  Christian  spirit, 
it  was  hoped,  would  be  of  great  service  in  allaying 
the  troubles  by  which  the  church  was  distracted.  He 
came  a  week  or  two  before  the  meeting  of  the  As- 
sociation, or  the  June  meeting,  as  it  was  called.  With 
apostolic  zeal,  tenderness,  and  affection,  this  godly 
man  labored  for  peace,"  urging  the  reception  of 
the  new  converts,  who  had  deemed  they  were  obey- 
ing God  when  they  had  yielded  to  his  truth,  and 
pleading  with  the  church  to  let  the  Word  of  God,  and 
not  the  Articles  of  Faith,  be  the  bond  of  union.  For 
three  weeks  he  expostulated,  besought,  and  prayed 
them  to  be  reconciled,  but  all  in  vain. 

On  the  Thursday  on  which  the  June  meeting  began, 
a  number  of  preachers,  mostly  opposed  to  the  views 
held  by  Scott  and  his  fellow-laborers,  were  present, 
at  a  church-meeting,  for  the  purpose  of  deciding  all 
the  matters  at'  issue.  The  case  of  the  new  converts 
was  brought  up,  and  it  was  decided  not  to  receive 
them  ;  and  then  followed  the  case  of  those  who  had 
favored  the  new  teaching.  Among  these,  George 
Bentley,  brother  of  the  pastor  of  the  Baptist  Church 
at  Warren,  who,  with  most  of  his  flock,  had  dis- 
carded the  creed  and  church  articles  and  come  over 
to  the  I^ible  ground,  and  the  younger  McCleary,  were 
most  prominent,  and  the  propriety  of  excluding  them 
was  discussed. 

The  elder  McCleary  was  mentioned  as  having  iden- 
tified himself  wiih  the  obnoxious  party,  but  it  was 
concluded  to  spare  him  on  account  of  his  age  and 
the  influence  he  possessed  in  the  community,  as  all 


1 64  /  Il'E  OF  EL  PER  IV.  I L  TER  SCO  TT. 

parties  regarded  him  as  a  good  man.  They  said  : 
*'  Father  McCleary,  we  regard  you  as  a  good  Christian 
man  ;  and  though  you  have,  in  a  measure,  adopted 
the  views,  and  even  broken  bread  with  those  who 
have  departed  from  the  Baptist  faith,  we  regard  you 
as  having  been  led  away  by  your  son  and  some 
younger  men  ;  but  we  want  you  to  stay  with  us  :  we 
have  confidence  in  you  yet."  The  old  man  arose, 
and  said,  with  great  emotion  :  "  Brethren,  I  can  not 
accept  your  offer ;  if  you  reject  my  brethren  I 
must  go  with  them,  for  they  are  better  men  than  I 
am." 

On  F'riday  they  met  again,  the  venerable  Thomas 
Campbell  urging  them  to  bury  their  differences  and 
live  together  in  peace,  but  the  breach  could  not  be 
healed  ;  and  on  the  next  morning  all  who  went  to 
the  church  saw  over  the  door  the  inscription,  '*  Let 
no  Campbellite  put  his  foot  over  this  threshhold  !" 
and  all  felt  now  that  the  crisis  had  come.  Those  for 
whom  the  notice  was  intended  wisely  forbore  to  enter, 
as  that  would  only  be  to  inflame  those  who  w^ere 
already  too  much  excited ;  and  yet  to  be  thus 
rudely  thrust  out  of  the  house  in  which  they  had 
worshiped  for  years,  was  hard  to  bear  ;  but  they  re- 
membered that  it  was  all  because  they  had  stood  up 
meekly,  yet  firmly,  for  the  Word  of  God  in  its  purity, 
and  they  were  comforted. 

In  the  meantime  Elders  Scott  and  Bentley  had  ar- 
rived, and,  as  their  friends  had  been  virtually  ex- 
cluded from  the  house  of  worship,  they  felt  that  it 
would  be  imprudent  for  them  to  intrude. 

The  matter  soon  was  noised  abroad  in  the  com- 
munity, the   greater   portion  of   which    sympathized 


PR  EACH  IXC  IX  A   RARX.  1 65 

with  those  who  had  been  so  rudely  treated  ;  and  this 
sympathy  soon  assumed  a  definite  form. 

Mr.  Daniel  Budd,  not  a  member  of  any  church,  had 
a  large  barn  which  he  fitted  up  and  seated  on  Satur- 
day, and  offered  for  the  use  of  Scott  and  Bentley. 
On  the  following  day  a  large  concourse  of  people 
gathered  to  hear  them,  and  the  circumstances  by 
which  they  were  surrounded  inspired  the  preachers 
with  even  more  than  wonted  zeal  and  earnestness. 

They  met  again  on  the  following  day,  and  a  new 
congregation  was  organized,  consisting  of  seventeen 
or  eighteen  persons,  who  had  been  members  of  the 
Baptist  Church,  and  of  the  new  converts  who  had 
been  baptized  by  Scott  at  his  first  visit — in  all, 
making  nearly  thirty.  To  these,  additions  were  made 
rapidly,  so  that  in  a  very  short  time  the  new  church 
had  a  membership  of  one  hundred  ;  so  that  the  per- 
secution which  they  had  endured  turned  out  to  the 
advancement  of  the  gospel. 

No  sooner,  however,  had  they  effected  an  organiza- 
tion than  the  Baptist  Church  formally  excluded  all 
who,  from  among  them,  had  entered  into  the  new  in- 
terest. After  the  separation  the  bitterness  of  the 
Baptists  increased,  and  they  exercised  a  jealous 
watchfulness  over  their  members  lest  any  of  them 
should  become  tainted  with  the  new  doctrine.  They 
were  not  long  in  finding  occasion  for  the  exhibition 
of  their  intolerant  and  persecuting  spirit. 

Benjamin  Reno  and  James  Morford  were  among 
the  most  prominent  members  they  had  left,  the  for- 
mer a  deacon,  the  latter  the  clerk  of  the  church.  The 
wives  of  both  of  these  had  met  with  the  Disciples  at 
Hubbard,   and    had    participated   with    them    in    the 


1 66  LIFE  OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCOTT. 

Lord's  Supper.  This  was  too  grievous  to  be  borne, 
and  at  the  next  church-meeting  the  case  of  the 
offending  parties  was  brought  up.  Such  a  flagrant 
departure  from  Baptist  usages  and  views  admitted  of 
no  excuse,  and  a  resolution  was  passed  to  exclude 
from  their  fellowship  all  who  should  commune  with 
the  ^  Disciples.  James  Morford,  the  clerk  of  the 
church,  threw  down  his  pen  and  declared  that  he 
would  make  record  of  no  such  ungodly  act  ;  and  the 
deacon,  Benjamin  Reno,  arose  and  declared  that  he 
could  no  longer  remain  with  them  after  such  a  wicked 
and  unchristian  course,  and  left  them  and  united  with 
the  Disciples,  who  received  him  on  the  ground  of  his 
well-known  character  and  well-ordered  life. 

James  Morford,  however,  remained,  determined,  if 
possible,  to  obtain  a  letter  of  dismission  from  the 
church  ;  but  when  they  found  that  he,  too,  was  re- 
solved to  leave  them,  they  not  only  refused  him  a 
letter,  but  excluded  him  from  their  fellowship.  This 
threw  him  into  great  trouble,  as  he  regarded  it  as  a 
o-reat  diso:race  to  be  excluded  from  the  church,  and 
feared,  moreover,  that  his  exclusion  would  prove  a 
barrier  to  his  uniting  with  the  Disciples.  As  he  was 
on  his  way  home,  greatly  dejected  at  the  turn  which 
matters  had  taken,  he  was  passing  the  farm  of  James 
McCleary,  one  of  the  Disciples,  who  was  at  work 
near  the  road,  and  hailed  him,  and  desired  to  know 
what  had  been  done  at  the  church-meeting.  He 
told  his  story,  and  the  injurious  treatment  he  had  re- 
ceived at  the  hands  of  his  former  brethren  ;  but  as 
soon  as  he  came  to  his  exclusion,  McCleary  cried  out, 
**  James  Morford,  fall  down  on  your  knees  and  give 
thanks   to   God   that   you   are   set  free  from   such   a 


THE  XEW  CIIL'RCII  PROSPERS.  1 6/ 

people  !"  He  found  his  exclusion  to  be  no  barrier 
in  the  way  of  his  reception  by  the  Disciples,  as  his 
character  was  known  to  be  blameless,  and  his  exclu- 
sion to  be  the  result  of  religious  bigotry. 

The  new  church  continued  to  grow  in  the  favor  of 
God  and  the  people,  who  knew  that  they  had  been 
called  to  suffer  for  the  truth's  sake.  They  continued 
to  meet  for  some  time,  like  the  ancient  church,  from 
house  to  house,  the  Lord  adding  frequently  to  their 
number.  Elder  Scott,  who  had  been  with  them  in 
the  day  of  their  trouble,  visited  them  in  their  pros- 
perity, and  greatly  strengthened  them  by  his  earnest 
and  efficient  labors,  and  was  himself  greatly  en- 
couraged to  see  their  growth  in  numbers  and  the  fear 
of  the  Lord,  so  that  he  could  adopt  the  saying  of  the 
beloved  apostle,  "  I  have  no  greater  joy  than  to  see 
my  children  walk  in  truth  !"  Nor  was  the  effect  of 
his  labors  a  transient  one,  for  though  his  voice  has 
long  ceased  to  be  heard  on  the  banks  of  the  Shen- 
ango,  and  many  of  those  whom  he  called  into  the 
kingdom  of  Christ  have  departed*  in  glorious  hope, 
the  cause  he  plead  is  still  alive  and  flourishing. 

Before  his  death  a  commodious  and  substantial 
brick  chapel  was  erected  by  the  congregation  which 
he  aided  to  organize  in  the  barn  of  a  non-professor. 
Very  many  of  its  members  have  removed  to  the  West, 
as  many  as  fifty  having  left  in  a  single  season  ; 
but  they  have  carried  wdth  them  the  truth  and 
planted  it  wherever  they  have  gone  :  and  even  now 
some  of  its  members  are  faithfully  and  successfully 
advocating  the  claims  of  the  religion  of  Jesus,  and 
bringing  many  into  the  fold  of  the  Good  Shepherd  ! 


1 68  LIFE  01'  ELDER    WALTER  SCOTT. 


CHAPTER    XI.' 

Deerfield — Scott's  visit — Amos  Allerton  the  skeptic — Conversion  of  Aylette 
Raines. 

DEERFIELD,  Portage  County,  was  noted  for  the 
spirit  of  earnest  religious  inquiry  which  pre- 
vailed there  for  years  before  Scott  visited  that  place 
and  gathered  so  rich  a  harvest.  This  was  the  home 
of  Jonas  Hartzell  and  many  others,  who  afterwards 
aided  so  much  to  spread  the  truth  in  that  region. 

As  the  result  of  the  investigation  of  religious  mat- 
ters in  that  community,  a  little  society  was  formed  for 
the  express  purpose  of  examining  the  Scriptures, 
and,  if  possible,  arriving  at  something  like  common 
ground.  This  little  band  was  composed  of  Cornelius 
P.  Finch,  who  was  a  Methodist  preacher,  and  his 
wife ;  Ephraim  P.  Hubbard,  an  active  Methodist,  and 
his  wife,  who  was  a  Baptist  ;  Samuel  McGowan,  a 
Baptist,  and  his  wife,  who  was  a  Presbyterian  ;  Peter 
Hartzell,  a  Presbyterian,  and  his  wife,  a  Baptist ;  Jonas 
Hartzell,  a  Presbyterian,  and  his  wife,  a  Methodist ;  and 
Gideon  Hoadly,  an  active  and  venerable  member  of  the 
Methodist  Church,  and  a  few  others.  Differing,  as 
they  did,  scarcely  any  two  of  the  same  family  being 
of  the  same  religious  faith,  they  all  agreed  that  the 
New  Testament  was  right,  and  that  it  was  safe  to  re- 
ceive whatever  was  recorded  there.  The  sadly  di- 
vided state  in  which  they  at  first  found  themselves 
was  soon  discovered  to  be  the  effect  of  partyism,  and 


SEARCIIIXG  THE  SCRIPTURES.  1 69, 

the  measurable  unity  which  they  soon  attained  from 
an  honest  examination  of  the  Word  of  God,  they  at- 
tributed rightly  to  the  power  of  the  truth. 

The  questions  examined  by  this  little  company  were 
of  vital  importance — such  as  the  intelligibility" of  the 
Scriptures,  their  all-sufficiency  for  the  purposes  of 
enlightenment,  the  government  of  the  church,  the 
conversion  of  the  sinner,  and  the  perfection  of  the 
saint.  They  soon  reached  the  conclusion  that  the 
Scriptures  w^ere  intelligible,  for  they  could  not  con- 
ceive how  they  could  be  a  revelation  from  God  unless 
they  were  adapted  to  the  common  intelligence  of 
mankind;  and,  if  thus  adapted  to  man's  wants  and 
capabilities,  they  felt  that  in  them  they  had  an  in- 
fallible and  all-sufficient  guide.  Having  settled  upon 
this,  they  were  soon  able  rightly  to  decide  other  ques* 
tions  of  importance  growing  out  of  the  divided  state 
of  the  religious  world,  such  as,  "  How^  does  faith 
come  .''"  "  Which  is  first  in  order,  faith  or  repent- 
ance .''"  "  Can  the  sinner  believe  and  obey  the  gos- 
pel without  supernatural  aid.?"  "Is  the 'Mosaic  dis~  • 
pensation  still  in  force  .''"  "  Who  is  a  proper  subject, 
and  what  the  mode  and  design  of  baptism  V  "  Should 
the  sinner  be  baptized  on  a  confession  of  his  faith  in 
Christ,  or  an  approved  experience  .'*"  These  were 
questions  of  grave  import,  when  the  different  and 
conflicting  teachings  under  which  they  had  severally 
been  brought  up,  are  taken  into  the  account  ;  but  the 
old  chart  led  them  to  a  safe,  quiet  harbor. 

In  the  various  families  composing  this  little  band, 

Finch  and  his  wife  were  the  only  ones  who  agreed  ; 

but  when   the   "old  paths"  were  found,  it  was  easy 

for  all  to  walk  and  dwell  together  in  peace  and  unity. 

15 


I/O  LIFE   OF  ELDER    WALTER  SlOTT. 

One  of  the  members — Ephraim  Hubbard — had 
stipulated,  on  uniting  with  the  Methodist  Church 
years  before,  that  he  should  not  be  bound  by  the 
Book  of  Discipline  ;  but  baptism  by  immersion  had 
been  denied  him  by  several  ministers,  on  the  ground 
that  it  would  amount  to  a  denial  of  sprinkling,  to 
which  he  had  been  subjected  in  infancy.  Hearing 
that  a  baptism  was  to  take  place  some  miles  distant 
by  what  he  deemed  to  be  the  only  scriptural  mode, 
he  took  a  change  of  clothing  and  started  for  the  ap- 
pointed place;  on  reaching  it  he  found  his  brother, 
who  was  a  Methodist  preacher,  there,  and  informed 
him  of  his  purpose;  his  brother  said,  "You  can  not 
be  more  dissatisfied  with  your  baptism  than  I  am 
with  mine  ;  and  if  I  had  a  change  of  clothing  I  would 
go  with  you."  That  want  was  soon  supplied,  and 
when  the  invitation- was  given  for  the  candidates  to 
present  themselves,  the  two  brothers  were  the  first 
to  do  so. 

He  still  retained  his  membership  in  the  Methodist 
Church,  but  the  change  which  was  continually  going 
on  in  his  mind  in  consequence  of  increasing  light, 
soon  led  the  preacher  who  was  over  the  small  charge 
of  which  he  was  a  member,  to  declare  that  Hubbard 
and  all  those  who  agreed  with  him  were  not  Method- 
ists, as  they  acknowledged  no  other  rule  of  faith  and 
practice  save  the  Holy  Scriptures  ;  and  when  his  con- 
gregation— about  eighteen  in  number — were  present, 
he  drew  the  line  between  those  who  sympathized  with 
him  and  the  church  and  those  who  had  adopted  the 
views  entertained  by  Hubbard  by  asking  all  who  were 
Methodists  to  rise  ;  five  did  so,  and  thirteen  stood  up 
for  the  Word  of  God. 


VISIT  OF  BEXTL EY  A XD  B OS IVOI^ TIL  1 7 1 

These,  of  course,  had  the  sympathy  of  all  in  the 
community  who  had  become  dissatisfied  with  the 
teaching  of  the  various  religious  parties  with  which 
they  were  associated  ;  and  the  way  having  been  pre- 
pared by  the  meetings  previously  described,  and  the 
discussions  and  investigations  which  had  taken  place 
among  them,  they  met  to  see  if  some  way  could  not 
be  devised  by  which  they  all  could  be  united  in  a 
New  Testament  church.  The  chief  difficulty  was 
that  they  had  no  model  among  them  that  they  could 
safely  imitate  ;  but  having  heard  that  there  was  a 
church  at  Braceville  on  a  strictly  Bible  foundation, 
Hubbard  and  Finch  paid  a  visit  to  the  church  there, 
and,  to  their  great  joy,  found  that  it  was  true. 

They  invited  Marcus  Bosworth,  who  was  the  teacher 
of  the  congregation,  to  visit  and  preach  to  them  ;  he 
came,  bringing  with  him  Adamson  Bentley,  who,  with 
his  congregation  at  Warren,  had  but  a  short  time  be- 
fore accepted  New  Testament  views,  and  abandoned 
all  human  creeds  ;  and,  under  the  teaching  of  these 
godly  men,  all  who  had  not  been  immersed  received 
that  ordinance  and  were  organized  into  a  gospel 
church  ;  and  Finch,  who  had  preached  among  the 
Methodists,  was  formally  set  apart  to  the  work  of  the 
ministry. 

This  little  band  grew  and  prospered  rapidly. 
Nearly  all  the  men  became  public  speakers  ;  among 
them  was  Jonas  Hartzell,  who  became  a  most  zealous 
and  efficient  public  laborer  both  with  tongue  and 
pen  ;  and  it  was  a  current  saying  through  the  West- 
ern Reserve  that  all  the  male  members  of  the  Deer- 
field  church  were  preachers. 

The  visit  of  Elders  Bentley  and  Bosworth  opened 


172  LIFE  OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCOTT. 

the  way  for  a  visit  from  Scott,  which  was  attended 
with  great  success  and  permanent  results. 

More  than  forty. years  after  that  visit  these  lines 
were  penned  at  the  scene  of  these  labors  amid  those 
who  never  will  forget  him,  who  threw  so  much  light 
on  their  pathway,  and  who  expect,  at  no  distant  day, 
to  meet  him  in  the  better  land. 

A  sister  Allerton  had  been  at  Canton,  Stark 
County,  for  some  time  for  medical  treatment,  and  on 
her  return  home  was  informed  by  her  sister  of  the 
religious  changes  which  had  taken  place  during  her 
absence.  She  told  of  the  few  disciples  who  had 
begun  to  meet  there,  and  said  :  **  I  have  been  to  hear 
them,  and  O  sister  !  they  reminded  me  of  the  twelve 
who  followed  our  Lord  when  on  earth  ;  they  are  plain, 
pious  men  ;  they  talk  just  as  the  Bible  reads  :  they 
surely  are  the  people  of  God  !" 

One  of  the  most  prominent  persons  in  the  com- 
munity was  Amos  Allerton,  a  natural  ruler  of  men, 
tall,  erect,  sinewy,  of  strong  mind  and  clear  judg- 
ment, which,  in  a  riieasure,  compensated  for  lack  of 
educational  advantages  ;  a  man  of  noble  impulses, 
kind  and  helpful,  yet  severely  just.  In  religious  mat- 
ters he  was  skeptical,  rendered  so  by  the  discords  and 
conflicting  views  of  the  various  religious  bodies  ;  he 
could  not  imagine  how  a  system  could  be  divine 
which  abounded  in  contradictions  ;  how  God  could 
send  men,  as  was  then  claimed,  to  preach  doctrines 
subversive  of  each  other :  he  supposed  that  the  Bible 
must  teach  what  the  preachers  of  various  denomina- 
tions claimed  that  it  did,  and  hence  rejected  the 
Bible.  He  had  attempted  to  be  religious  according 
to  the  popular,  theories  of  the  day,  but  they  did  not 


AX  IXflDEL   CONVERTED.  1 73 

satisfy  either  his  mind  or  heart ;  he  could  not  endure 
to  walk  in  doubt  or  darkness,  or  rest  his  hopes  upon 
transient  feeling  or  a  peradventure  ;  he  desired  to 
feel  the  rock  under  his  feet ;  but  the  human  theories 
to  which  he  was  directed  were  as  uncertain  and 
unsafe  as  the  desert  sands. 

It  was  noised  abroad  that  Walter  Scott  would 
preach  at  a  private  house  in  the  vicinity,  and,  as  his 
fame  had  preceded  him,  a  large  concourse  assembled 
to  hear  him  ;  among  the  throng  was  Amos  Allerton, 
not  at  all  favorably  impressed  by- what  he  heard  of 
the  preacher  and  his  new  doctrine,  but  on  the  con- 
trary, disposed  to  criticise  and  cavil.  He  had  been 
teld  that  Scott  preached  a  water  salvation  (as  his  views 
of  baptism  for  the  remission  of  sins  were  termed), 
and  on  that  bright  morning  on  his  way  to  hear  the 
strange  preacher,  he  had  stopped  at  a  clear  brook  to 
quench  his  thirst,  and  as  he  did  so,  he  said  in  scorn 
and  disdain  :  "  Can  this  element  wash  away  sins  T 
Reaching  the  appointed  place,  he  found  in  the 
preacher  not  a  glib  and  noisy  religious  polemic,  but 
a  meek,  earnest,  and  gifted  advocate  of  the  pure  and 
simple  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ,  which  he  unfolded  with 
a  clearness,  tenderness,  and  earnestness  that  he  had 
never  witnessed  before.  His  skepticism  yielded  be- 
fore the  array  of  truth  which  was  presented,  and  his 
heart  was  touched  with  the  love  of  Him  who  came  to 
save  a  lost  world.  He  saw  that  the  gospel  call  was 
not  to  baptism  only,  but  to  an  abandonment  of  sin  to 
an  earnest,  true,  and  pure  life.  He  listened  for  hours, 
which  scarcely  seemed  more  than  minutes,  every  sen- 
tence convincing  his  judgment  and  appealing  to  his 
heart.     The  preacher  closed  with  an  appeal  to  those 


174  J-^^'^  OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCOTT. 

who  believed  the  truth  to  avow  their  faith  pubHcly  in 
the  Son  of  God. 

Allerton  started  forward  ;  Ephraim  Hubbard,  a 
faithful  and  earnest  disciple,  saw  the  movement  and 
trembled,  thinking  that  he  was  advancing  to  make 
some  disturbance ;  but  as  he  came  nearer,  he  saw 
eyes  not  flashing  with  the  light  of  rebuke  and  con- 
troversy, but  melted  to  tenderness  and  tears,  and 
with  a  shout  of  joy  he  welcomed  him  gladly.  With 
profound  earnestness  he  confessed  his  faith  in  the 
Savior  of  mankind;  and  was  the  same  day  buried  with 
Christ  by  baptism  ;  and  the  sun  on  that  day  set  on 
few  happier  men  than  Amos  Allerton.  Nor  was  this 
change  a  transient  one,  but  a  change  of  the  entire 
current  of  his  thoughts  and  life  ;  he  soon  began  to 
teach  others  to  walk  in  the  way  upon  which  he  him- 
self had  entered.  His  rare,  clear  sense  and  spotless 
integrity  soon  made  his  influence  felt,  and  a  little 
practice  sufficed  to  enable  him  to  present  his  thoughts 
Avith  a  vigorous,  common  sense,  and  an  earnestness 
that  it  was  difficult  to  resist. 

Grateful  for  his  own  escape  from  the  dominion  of 
doubt  and  chilling  unbelief,  he  began  to  point  out  the 
way  of  emancipation  to  others.  The  cross  and  its 
bleeding  Victim  to  move  the  heart,  and  the  teachings 
of  Jesus  to  direct  the  life,  were  used  with  wonderful 
power.  His  fame  spread  ;  large  audiences  gathered 
to  hear  the  plain  farmer,  so  suddenly  transformed 
into  a  preacher  of  righteousness ;  and  the  curiosity 
which  brought  them  to  hear  was,  in  many  cases, 
changed  into  a  deep  and  abiding  interest  in  the  great 
themes  he  presented  ;  and  scores  and  hundreds  were, 
through   his   labors,  brought  to  a  knowledge  of  the 


PREJUDICE  DISARMED.  1/5 

way  of  life.  Though  destitute  of  the  aids  of  learn- 
ing, he  was  a  vigorous  and  original  thinker.  His 
Bible  was  his  theological  library  ;  and  from  nature 
and  society  he  drew  illustrations  which  all  could  un- 
derstand ;  while  his  zeal,  his  earnestness,  and  his  life, 
all  rendered  his  teaching  searching,  impressive,  and 
convincing. 

Living  yet  in  a  vigorous  old  age,  the  moisture  will 
gather  in  his  eye,  and  his  voice  tremble  with  emotion 
as  he  speaks  of  Scott,  who,  nearly  half  a  century 
since,  helped  him  out  of  the  perils  of  infidelity,  and 
pointed  out  the  true  pathway  on  which  the  true  light 
shineth,  even  the  light  of  God. 

Another  incident  connected  with  Scott's  first  visit 
to  Deerfield  is  worthy  of  a  place  here.  He  presented 
himself  first  at  the  residence  of  E.  Hubbard  and 
offered  to  preach  if  a  suitable  place  could  be  pro- 
cured. He  immediately  went  to  consult  Finch,  who 
was  not  in  favor  of  Scott's  preaching,  saying  it  would 
ruin  them.  This  was  in  consequence  of  the  rumors 
that  were  afloat  with  regard  to  his  eccentricities  and 
the  misrepresentatTons  of  his  teachings.  Hubbard 
insisted,  however,  that  Scott  must  preach,  and  the 
Methodist  church  was  procured.  Finch  was  present, 
and  Scott  had  not  completed  his  discourse  before  he 
was  convinced  that  he  could  sit  at  his  feet  in  matters 
pertaining  to  a  knowledge  of  New  Testament  Christ- 
ianity. Hubbard  himself  soon  became  a  public 
teacher  ;  and  so  prudent  and  careful  was  he,  that  a 
Lutheran  minister  of  fine  abilities  and  education, 
after  listening  to  him,  said:  "Mr.  Hubbard,  I  came 
here  to  criticise  you  and  point  out  your  errors." 
*'  Why  do   you    not   do   so    then  .?"    he   asked.      "  Be- 


iy6  LIFE  OF  ELDER    WALTER  SCOTT. 

cause,"  he  replied,  "you  have  said  nothing  but  that 
which  I  feel  compelled  warmly  to  approve."  And  it 
was  not  very  long  after  that  this  same  minister  gave 
up  his  place  as  pastor  of  a  large  congregation,  his 
salary,  reputation,  and  all  that  could  bind  a  man  to  a 
powerful  and  influential  religious  party,  to  receive 
baptism  at  the  hands  of  a  plain  farmer,  who,  with  the 
Bible  in  his  hands,  could  teach  Christianity  as  it  came 
from  the  apostles  of  the  Lamb. 

Hubbard,  after  a  long,  honorable,  and  useful  career, 
still  lives  at  the  age  of  fourscore,  the  days  of  his 
active  usefulness  past,  but  waiting  patiently  for  his 
change  in  glorious  hope,  trusting  to  say  with  his 
latest  breath,  "  Thanks  be  to  God  that  giveth  us  the 
-victory  !" 

Daniel  Hayden,  now  living  at  Deerfield,  traveled 
much  with  Scott  in  those  stirring  times,  retains  many 
vivid  and  pleasant  recollections  of  him.  When  he 
first  saw  him,  though  entirely  ignorant  as  to  who  he 
was,  he  set  him  down  as  one  who  could  make  good  a 
claim  to  greatness.  Scott  was  a  rapid  rider,  and 
when  remonstrated  with  on  the  nfatter  justified  him- 
self by  the  plea  that  the  King's  business  required 
haste.  As  they  rode  along  one  day,  he  said  :  "  Bro. 
Hayden,  I  was  a  grown  man  before  I  ever  saw  a  full- 
grown  forest  tree.  I  was  brought  up  in  the  great  city 
of  Edinburgh  and  knew  nothing  of  the  country  and 
forest,  and  the  various  kinds  of  trees  ;  and  now,  brother, 
I  want  you  to  tell  me  the  name  of  that  noble  tree  by 
the  roadside."  **  That,"  said  Hayden,  "is  a  white- 
oak."  "Hold  my  horse,"  said  Scott" — and,  leaping 
to  the  ground,  ran  to  the  tree,  and  in  a  little  while 
marked  all  its  peculiarities,  plucked  one  of  its  leaves. 


PROFUSE  BENEVOLENCE.  1 77 

imprinted  its  form  on  his  memory,  and  that  species 
was  known  forever  after.  This  was  frequently  re- 
peated when  he  saw  a  tree  with  the  name  of  which 
he  was  unacquainted,  and  as  Hayden  was  an  expert 
w^oodsman  he  made  rapid  progress,  and  was  soon  as 
able  to  distinguish  and  name  the  different  growths  as 
his  instructor. 

In  the  freedom  of  their  social  intercourse,  Hayden 
once  ventured  the  remark  that  his  charity  was  too 
profuse  for  one  of  his  limited  means,  and  that  it 
should  never  be  carried  to  the  extent  of  causing  in- 
convenience to  his  own  household.  At  this  he 
winced  a  little,  for  it  was  true — his  kindness  of  heart 
was  apt  to  make  him  forget  all  considerations  of  pru- 
dence ;  for,  though  no  man  could  love  his  family  more 
tenderly  than  did  he,  yet  he  could  not  help  giving 
whatever  he  had  to  the  nearest  needy  object,  leaving 
himself  often  in  as  great  need  as  the  object  of  his 
benevolence  lately  had  been.  In  a  word,  the  needs 
of  others  ever  *seemed  to  him  greater  than  his  own. 
It  was  not  in  his  nature  to  say  no  when  he  had  a 
dollar  in  his  purse  or  a  garment  beyond  what  he  had 
on,  when  others  needed  one  or  the  other  or  both 
Well  knowing  this  weakness,  if  weakness  it  were, 
Hayden  said  :  "  Bro.  Scott,  you  ought  not  to  handle 
a  dollar  ;  whatever  means  you  have  ought  to  be  in 
the  hands  of  some  one  with  less  sympathy  and  more 
judgment  than  yourself,  to  manage  for  you,  and  see 
that  your  own  are  well  cared  for  before  others  are 
helped.  Instead  of  becoming  offended,  he  replied 
pleasantly  :  "  Bro.  Hayden,  I  believe  you  are  right  ; 
you  are  a  good  manager,  a  iiian  of  thrift  and  pru- 
dence— will  you  do  me  this  service  T'     "  I  will,"  was 


lyS  LIFE  OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCOTT. 

the  reply.  "  You  are  the  very  man  for  the  work," 
said  Scott,  "and  I  will  hold  you  to  it." 

While  Scott  was  on  a  visit  to  Father  Hayden's, 
near  Youngstown,  it  was  announced  that  Lawrence 
Greatrake,  a  Baptist  preacher,  notorious  for  his  oppo- 
sition to  the  Disciples,  would  preach  in  the  vicinity. 
Scott  determined  to  go  and  hear  him,  but  fearing 
that  he  might  be  provoked  to  a  reply  by  a  man  who 
was  coarse  and  rude  in  his  assaults,  the  family  per- 
suaded him  not  to  go.  He  started  off,  but  at  part- 
ing told  them  to  be  sure  to  go  and  hear  the  Great 
Rake.  After  going  some  distance  he  changed  his 
mind,  rode  to  the  place  of  meeting,  and  instead  of 
going  in  went  to  an  open  window  in  the  rear  of  the 
building,  close  to  the  pulpit.  The  preacher  took  the 
pulpit,  and  in  his  prayer,  as  preparatory  to  his  medi- 
tated onslaught  on  the  Disciples,  said  :  "  O  Lord,  do 
thou  restrain  or  remove  those  wolves  who  are  going 
about  in  sheep's  clothing,  scattering^  the  flock  and 
destroying  the  lambs."  At  this  point  Scott,  in  a  voice 
that  could  be  heard  by  all  present,  uttered  a  hearty 
"amen,"  which  so  disconcerted  the  preacher  that  it 
was  with  difficulty  that  he  could  finish  his  prayer. 

It  was  in  the  early  part  of  the  year  1828  that  Ay- 
lette  Raines,  a  Universalist  preacher,  a  young  man  of 
fine  abilities,  formed  an  acquaintance  with  Scott,  the 
result  of  which  was  the  abandonment  of  his  former 
views  and  embracing  and  successfully  advocating 
those  set  forth  by  his  new  and  gifted  friend.  Raines 
had  heard  of  the  new  preacher,  and  also  the  current 
but  distorted  rumors  with  regard  to  his  teaching, 
and  his  curiosity  being  aroused  he  sought  an  oppor- 
tunity of  hearing  him,  intending,  if  possible,  to  draw 


A   UXI I'ERSA LIST  CON VIXCED.  1 79 

him  into  a  discussion,  supposing  the  views  of  Scott 
to  be  as  vulnerable  as  those  of  other  religious  bodies, 
which,  on  account  of  their  partial,  one-sided,, and  even 
contradictory  nature,  he  found  but  little  difficulty  in 
overthrowing. 

The  first  discourse  he  heard  from  Scott  was  in 
his  best  vein,  clear,  convincing,  scriptural — so  much 
so  that  Raines  saw  in  it  much  to  admire  and  noth- 
ing to  condemn  ;  and  when  at  the  close,  as  was 
his  custom,  he  invited  any  one  present  to  make 
any  remarks  he  might  think  proper,  Raines  arose 
and  expressed  his  great  pleasure  and  warm  ap- 
proval of  all  that  he  had  heard.  After  this  he  went 
to  hear  Scott  frequently,  not  to  cavil  but  to  learn,  for 
he  soon  perceived  that  he  had  no  particular  system 
of  religious  philosophy  to  advance,  but  set  forth  Bible 
truth  with  a  vigor  and  simplicity  that  was  entirely 
new. 

The  system  advocated  by  Raines  did  not  deny 
the  future  punishment  of  the  wicked,  but  set  forth 
that  it  would  be  limited  in  duration,  and  that  the 
subjects  of  it  would  finally  be  made  holy  and  happy. 
This  view  Scott  described  as  a  gospel  to  get  people 
out  of  hell,  and  that  which  he  preached  as  designed 
to  prevent  them  from  going  there — the  one  adapted 
to  this  world ;  the  other,  even  if  true,  adapted  only  to 
the  world  to  come,  and  consequently  that  it  was  use- 
less to  preach  it  here. 

Soon  the  views  of  Raines  underwent  a  marked 
change,  and  he  sought  ^his  friend  Ebenezer  Williams, 
the  ablest  advocate  of  Universalism  in  that  region, 
and  laid  before  him  the  change  which  had  taken 
place  in  his   mind  and   the  reasons   for   it.     These 


l80  LIFE  OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCOTT. 

were  heard  and  carefully  canvassed.  The  two  friends 
spent  many  of  the  hours  usually  devoted  to  sleep  in 
an  earnest  and  candid  examination  of  the  Scriptures, 
and  the  result  was  that  Williams  was  soon  as  firmly 
convinced  of  the  truth  of  the  views  held  by  his  amia- 
ble and  gifted  young  friend,  which  he  had  learned  from 
the  lips  of  Scott,  as  he  was  himself;  and  together  they 
went  down  to  a  small  lake  near  at  hand  and  mutually 
baptized  each  other  in  its  clear  waters.  They  then 
threw  themselves  with  the  utmost  energy  into  the 
work  of  preaching  the  gospel  as  distinguished  from 
human  systems,  and  with  great  success. 

The  first  fruits  of  the  labors  of  Raines  alone,  within 
a  few  weeks  after  his  baptism,  was  the  conversion 
of  about  fifty  persons,  including  three  Universalist 
preachers.  Hundreds  have  been  turned  from  their 
sins  by  their  united  and  earnest  labors,  and  Universal- 
ism  has  never  received  heavier  or  deadlier  blows  than 
those  dealt  with  the  sword  of  the  Spirit  in  the  hands 
of  Ebenezer  Williams  and  Aylette  Raines.  Nearly 
half  a  century  has  passed,  and  each  succeeding  year 
has  only  proved  that  they  abandoned  destructive 
error  for  saving  truth.  Williams  not  long  ago 
departed  to  his  rest ;  Raines  still  lingers  on  the 
shores  of  time,  his  work  nearly  done,  his  reward  not 
distant. 


CHANGES  WROUGHT.  l8l 


CHAPTER    XII. 

Changes  wrought — Anecdotes — Toad  sky-high — Neither  for  God  nor 
devil  —  Meeting  of  the  Association — Scott  re-appointed — WiUiam 
Hayden  given  as  fellow-laborer. 

FOR  months  the  scenes  at  New  Lisbon,  Warren, 
Deerfield,  and  other  points  already  noted,  were 
repeated  with  but  slight  variation  at  various  other 
places.  Such  a  change  as  took  place  within  the 
bounds  of  the  Mahoning  Association  under  the  labors 
of  Scott  has  seldom  been  equaled.  Apathy  and  in- 
difference vanished,  the  dry  bones  in  the  Mahoning 
Valley  were  clothed  with  flesh  and  blood  and  stood 
upright,  professors  were,  roused  to  a  new  and  un- 
wonted zeal,  and  every-where  sinners  became  deeply 
concerned.  The  Bible  was  read  with  new  interest, 
for  the  people  had  learned  that  it  was  not  a  dead 
letter,  but  the  living  word  of  the  living  God.  The 
new  views  were  canvassed  in  every  village  and  almost 
every  dwelling.  Men  from  forest,  field,  and  work- 
shop gladly  heard  and  willingly  obeyed  a  gospel 
which  was  but  a  republication  of  that  first  preached 
in  Judea  ;  and  many  of  these,  in  turn,  told  to  others 
the  story  that  had  won  their  hearts  by  its  sweetness 
and  simplicity. 

The  beautiful  Mahoning  became  a  second  Jordan, 
and  Scott  another  John  calling  on  the  people  to  pre- 
pare the  way  of  the  Lord.     Every-where  among  the 


l82  LIFE   01'  ELDER   WALTER  SCOTT. 

new  converts  arose  men  earnest  and  bold  as  the  Gal- 
ilean fishermen,  telling,  too,  the  same  story,  calling 
their  neighbors  to  repentance,  and  baptizing  them  in 
its  clear  waters.  The  small  lakes  within  the  same 
district  became  distinguished  for  baptismal  scenes  ; 
and  frequently  by  the  blaze  of  torches  or  the  moon's 
pale  beams  individuals  and  families,  like  that  of  the 
Philippian  jailer,  were  baptized  at  the  same  hour  of 
the  night. 

Those  scenes  had  a  strange  significance,  and 
looked  so  much  like  those  described  in  the  Word 
of  God,  that  the  simple  administration  was  more 
powerful  than  argument  to  convince  bystanders  that 
this  was  the  true  gospel  baptism. 

The  changed  lives  of  the  converts,  their  love  for 
each  other,  their  zeal  for  the  welfare  of  their  neigh- 
bors, and  the  signal  ability  with  which  ignorant  and 
unlearned  men,  armed  with  the  truth  of  God  alone, 
could  silence  opposers  who  had  all  the  adv^antages  of 
libraries  and  learning,  made  upon  those  who  saw  and 
heard  a  deep  and  lasting  impression. 

The  strange  captivating  eloquence  of  Scott  drew 
crowds  whenever  it  was  known  that  he  would  preach, 
and  he  was  not  slow  to  make,  as  well  as  to  embrace, 
opportunities.  In  the  groves,  which  have  been  well 
called  God's  first  temples,  he  would  discourse  with 
rare  eloquence  and  power  during  the  day,  and  at 
night  in  barn,  school-house,  or  private  dwelling  he 
would  discourse  to  smaller  but  still  more  deeply  in^ 
terested  audiences,  consisting  not  of  those  who  were 
drawn  together  from  mere  curiosity  or  from  admira- 
tion of  his  wonderful  powers,  but  of  those  upon  whose 
hearts  the   truth    had   made   an   impression,   earnest 


HELPERS  FOUND.  1 83 

searchers  after  the  right  ways  of  God,  who  followed 
and  listened,  and  sought  not  in  vain. 

Alone  at  first  he  labored,  but  soon  he  found  earn- 
est and  faithful  helpers,  not  only  among  those  who 
had  been  teaching  the  way  of  the  Lord  yet  imper- 
fectly, and  who  gladly  accepted  the  truth  as  he  pre- 
sented it ;  but,  in  addition  to  these,  many  of  his 
converts  to  whom  the  popular  theories  were  contra- 
dictory and  distasteful,  as  soon  as  the  truth,  harmony, 
and  consistency  of  the  gospel  was  presented,  received 
it  gladly,  and  with  great  plainness  and  power  urged 
upon  their  neighbors  that  which  had  brought  such 
comfort  and  blessing  to  their  own  souls. 

Nor  were  instances  rare  of  skeptics  abandoning 
their  skepticism  and  becoming  the  advocates,  not  of 
modern  but  New  Testament  Christianity.  Men  em- 
inent in  various  professions  saw  a  truth  and  beauty 
in  the  simple  gospel  and  yielded  to  its  charms,  and 
even  many  who  had  publicly  opposed  it  from  the 
•pulpit  not  only  ceased  their  opposition  but  became  its 
advocates.  Nearly  every  convert  became  a  preacher 
either  in  public  or  private  ;  the  New  Testament  was 
studied  by  day  and  meditated  upon  by  night ;  scarcely 
a  Disciple  could  be  found  without  a  small  copy  of  the 
Sacred  Oracles  in  his  pocket  as  his  daily  companion  ; 
numbers  had  their  minds  so  stored  with  its  truths 
that  they  could  readily  quote  from  memory  whatever 
the  occasion  demanded — so  much  so  that  they  were 
known  as  book  men,  the  men  of  one  book,  and  in  a 
few  cases  as  "  walking  Bibles." 

Wholly  absorbed,  as  Elder  Scott  was,  in  making 
known  the  truths  wdiich  to  him  and  thousands  who 
heard  him  Dossessed  the  charm  almost  of  a  new  rev- 


1 84  LIFE  OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCOTT. 

elation,  it  is  not  a  matter  of  wonder  that  such  un- 
wonted zeal  and  devotion  should  lead  him  into  what 
to  cold  and  undemonstrative  natures  seemed  as  en- 
thusiasm and  eccentricity.  This,  indeed,  took  place 
in  many  instances  when  the  preacher  could  say  with 
truth,  *'  I  speak  the  words  of  truth  and  soberness" — 
and  his  fire,  and  zeal,  and  earnestness  were  regarded 
as  eccentricity  only  because  they  were  so  unusual. 

He  realized  the  danger  of  his  fellow-men  more 
vividly  than  they  did  themselves,  and  the  torpor  and 
indifference  of  professed  Christians  led  him  often  to 
such  a  course  as  was  well  calculated  to  alarm  and 
arouse  those  that  were  at  ease  in  Zion.  His  enthu- 
siasm was  always  an  enlightened  one,  and  his  fre- 
quent singularity  of  manner  never  led  into  extrava- 
gancies that  involved  the  substitution  of  mere  human 
appliances  for  the  teaching  of  the  Word  of  God  ;  in- 
deed, his  eccentricities  arose  from  the  fact  that  he 
possessed  a  deeper  sense  of  the  importance  of  the 
truth  he  had  in  charge  than  most  men  of  his  time; 
Many  instances  illustrative  of  this  peculiarity  are 
current.     One  of  the  most  notable  is  the  following  : 

Riding  into  a  village  near  the  close  of  the  day,  he 
addressed  himself  to  the  school  children  who  were 
returning  home  from  school,  in  such  a  way  that  he 
soon  had  quite  a  circle  of  them  gathered  round  him. 
He  then  said  to  them  :  **  Children,  hold  up  your  left 
hands."  They  all  did  so,  anticipating  some  sport. 
"  Now,"  said  he,  "  beginning  with  your  thumb  repeat 
what  I  say  to  you  :  Faith,  repentance,  baptism,  remis- 
sion of  sins,  gift  of  the  Holy  Spirit — that  takes  up 
ail  your  fingers.  Now,  again  :  Faith,  repentance, 
baptism,  remission  of  sins,  gift  of  the    Holy    Spirit. 


THE   SLEEPERS  NO  USED.  1 85 

Now,  again,  faster,  altogether:  Faith,  repentance, 
l)aptism,  remission  of  sins,  gift  of  the  Holy  Spirit — 
and  thus  he  continued  until  they  all  could  repeat  it 
in  concert,  like  a  column  of  the  multiplication  table. 
They  were  all  intensely  amused,  thinking  that  he  was 
a  harmless,  crazy  man.  He  then  said  :  "  Children, 
now  run  home — don't  forget  what  is  on  your  fingers, 
and  tell  your  parents  that  a  man  will  preach  the  gos- 
pel to-night  at  the  school-house,  as  you  have  it  on  the 
five  fingers  of  your  hands."  Away  went  the  children, 
in  great  glee,  repeating  as  they  went,  "  Faith,  repent- 
ance, baptism,  remission  of  sins,  gift  of  the  Holy 
Spirit " — and  soon  the  story  was  rehearsed  in  nearly 
every  house  of  the  village  and  neighborhood  ;  and  long 
before  the  hour  of  meeting  the  house  was  thronged, 
and,  of  course,  not  a  few  of  the  children  were  there, 
all  expecting  to  have  great  sport  with  the  crazy  man. 

The  preacher  rose,  opened  his  meeting,  and  entered 
upon  a  plain  and  simple  presentation  of  the  gospel. 
But,  alas!  most  of  his  hearers  were  Baptists  of  the 
ultra  Calvinistic  school,  who  would  much  rather  have 
heard  a  discourse  upon  total  depravity  or  uncondi- 
tional election  than  the  theme  in  which  the  speaker 
was  endeavoring  to  interest  them.  They,  perhaps,  like 
the  children,  had  anticipated  some  sport,  but,  whether 
it  was  from  indifference  or  disappointment,  they  paid 
but  little  attention,  and  many  of  them  fell  asleep. 

Sad,  too,  was  the  disappointment  of  the  little  peo- 
ple who  had  crowded  to  the  front  seats  to  enjoy  the 
anticipated  sport,  for  they  discovered  that  he  was  not 
a  crazy  man  after  all.  They  were  getting  tired,  too, 
and,  like  the  older  ones  who  were  awake,  wished 
that  the  speak^ir  would  close. 


I  86  LIFE  OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCOTT. 

But  soon  the  scene  changed.  Addressing  himself 
abruptly  to  the  little  boys,  who  were  getting  restless, 
he  said:  "Boys,  did  you  ever  play  toad  sky-high?" 
They  all  brightened  up  in  a  moment.  Now,  they 
thought,  the  fun  is  coming  at  last.  "Well,  boys,"  he 
proceeded,  "  I'll  tell  you  how  we  used  to  play  it  in 
Scotland.  First,  we  caught  a  toad,  and  went  out  into 
a  clear  open  place,  and  got  a  log  or  a  big  stone,  and 
across  this  we  laid  a  plank  or  board,  one  end  of  which 
rested  on  the  ground  and  the  other  stuck  up  in  the 
air.  We  then  placed  the  toad  on  the  lower  end,  and 
took  a  big  stick  and  struck  the  upper  part  of  the 
board  with  all  our  might.  The  other  end  flew  up, 
and  away  went  the  toad  sky-high."  At  this  the  boys 
all  laughed,  and  the  sleepers  rubbed  their  eyes  and 
looked  round  to  see  what  was  the  matter — and  the 
speaker  went  on  :  "  But,  boys,  that  was  not  right  ; 
that  toad  was  one  of  God's  creatures,  and  could  feel 
pain  as  well  as  any  of  you.  It  was  a  poor,  harmless 
thing,  and  it  was  wicked  for  us  boys  to  send  it  thus 
flying  through  the  air,  for  in  most  cases,  when  the 
toad  came  down  the  poor  thing  would  be  dead — and, 
boys,  we  felt  very  badly  when  we  saw  the  blood 
staining  its  brown  skin  and  its  body  bruised  and  its 
limbs  broken,  and  lying  motionless  upon  the  grass 
through  which  it  had  hopped  so  merrily  a  few  minutes 
before." 

The  boys  began  to  feel  very  serious,  at  this  ;  but 
when  he  went  on  and  described  the  enormity  of  such 
thoughtless  wickedness,  which  ended  in  taking  a  life 
which  could  not  be  restored,  many  of  them  were 
moved  to  tears  at  the  sad  fate  of  the  poor  toad.  Then 
turning  to  his  audience,  who  had  become  aroused  and 


.-/  STR.1XGE  AUDIEXCE.  1 8/ 

interested,  he  burst  upon  them  with  words  of  bitter 
and  scorching  rebuke,  asking  what  they,  professed 
Christians,  thought  of  themselves,  going  to  sleep 
under  the  st^ry  of  a  Savior's  death  and  a  Savior's 
love,  while  the  hearts  of  the  children  were  melted, 
and  their  tears  flowing  at  the  recital  of  the  sufferings 
of  a  poor  toad. 

Soon  his  hearers  were  as  much  interested  as  the 
children  lately  had  been  ;  and  though  the  preacher 
remained  for  quite  a  season  in  their  midst,  he  never 
again  addressed  a  listless  and  sleepy  audience  ;  the 
interest  increased  with  every  evening,  and  many  had 
reason  to  be  grateful  to  God  that  they  had  ever  heard 
the  preacher,  who  made  the  children  circulate  his  ap- 
pointment by  sending  them  home  with  the  gospel  on 
their  fingers. 

On  another  occasion  he  was  requested  to  preach 
one  evening  in  a  school-house  near  Warren,  and, 
judging  from  the  nature  of  the  invitation,  he  fully 
expected  to  meet  a  good  audience  ;  but  on  reaching 
the  place  he  found  but  few  assembled,  and  concludetl 
that  he  would  not  preach.  After  waiting  until  it  was 
evident  that  no  more  would  come,  he  rose  and  re- 
marked that  being  a  stranger  to  them,  and  they 
strangers  to  him,  he  had  not  sufficient  knowledge  of 
their  views,  feelings,  and  wants,  to  adapt  his  address 
to  them  without  some  further  information.  He  then 
asked  all  who  were  present  who  were  on  the  Lord's  side 
to  arise.  As  he  anticipated,  no  one  got  up.  He  then 
asked  all  who  were  in  favor  of  the  devil  to  rise,  but 
no  one  responded  to  the  invitation.  After  looking 
at  them  for  a  few  moments,  he  said  that  he  had  never 
seen  such  an  audience  before  ;  if  they  had   stood  up 


1 88  LIFE  OF  F.l.DKR  WALTER  SCOTT. 

either  for  God  or  the  devil  he  would  have  known  how 
to  address  them  :  as  the  matter  stood,  he  would  have 
to  study  their  case,  and  try,  if  possible,  to  meet  it, 
and  that  he  would  be  back  the  next  evening  at  the 
same  hour  to  give  them  the  result  of  his  reflections. 
He  then  took  his  hat  and  departed. 

The  next  evening,  as  might  have  been  expected, 
the  house  was  not  large  enough  for  the  audience,  for 
all  who  were  present  on  the  previous  evening  spread 
abroad  the  appointment,  and  thus  excited  the  curios- 
ity of  the  entire  community  ;  nor  did  the  meeting 
close  until  curiosity  yielded  to  a  deeper  feeling,  and 
the  truth  achieved  a  victory. 

In  such  labors  as  these  the  months  went  by  until 
August,  the  appointed  time  for  the  meeting  of  the 
Association,  which  this  year  met  at  Warren,  and 
proved  to  be  a  most  interesting  and  joyful  occasion. 
For  years  before  the  attendance  had  not  been  large, 
and  chilling  reports  of  the  want  of  success  had  sad- 
dened the  hearts  of  its  members.  The  increase  of 
numbers  by  conversion  scarcely  replaced  the  ravages 
by  death  and  vacancies  by  reason  of  apostasy  and 
exclusion  ;  but  now  a  great  and  delightful  change  had 
taken  place — the  number  of  converts  far  exceeded 
that  of  the  entire  membership  of  the  Association  at 
the  beginning  of  the  year  when  Scott  entered  upon 
.his  labors  ;  some  of  the  churches  had  doubled  their 
numbers  ;  new  churches  had  been  formed  ;  the  con- 
verts were  distinguished  by  unusual  zeal  and  activ- 
ity, and  many  of  them  were  present  to  add  to  the  glad- 
ness which  prevailed  and  to  partake  of  the  joy.  Not 
far  from  one  thousand  new  converts  had  been  made, 
and  a  new  life  had  been  infused  into  the  churches. 


A  II.  I PP )  •  MEE  TING.  I  89 

and,  as  a  consequence,  great  joy  prevailed,  and  the 
routine  of  business  for  a  season  gave  way  to  mutual 
congratulations  on  the  success  of  the  gospel,  to 
prayer  and  praise. 

Among  the  converts  were  those  from  different 
religious  bodies,  and  also  several  preachers  who  had 
abandoned  their  various  creeds,  and  it  now  became  a 
serious  question  w-hether  all  those  various  elements 
could  be  harmonized  and  unite  upon  the  common 
basis  of  the  Word  of  God. 

It  was  well  known  that  Aylette  Raines,  who  had 
heretofore  been  a  zealous  Universalist,  still  retained 
his  opinions  with  regard  to  the  final  restoration  of  the 
entire  race  to  the  favor  of  God,  and  it  was  feared  that 
it  would  work  injuriously  were  he  not  required  to 
make  a  public  recantation  of  the  obnoxious  senti- 
ments, and  quite  a  number  of  the  members  of  the 
Association  were  unwilling  to  receive  him  unless  he 
should  do  so. 

When  it  is  remembered  that  nearly  all  present  had 
been  reared  under  one  or  the  other  of  the  various 
party  creeds,  and  that  the  Association  had  been  long 
committed  to  the  doctrines  set  forth  in  the  Philadel- 
phia Confession  of  .Faith,  this  will  not  be  wondered 
at — the  wonder  will  be  rather  that  they  were  able  to 
rise  above  the  influences  of  early  teaching  and  long- 
confirmed  habits  of  thought,  and  to  take  the  advanced 
scriptural  ground  which  they  finally  did. 

When  the  case  of  Raines  was  formally  brought 
before  the  Association,  the  Campbells — father  and 
son — both  advocated  his  reception  as  a  Christian 
brother;  the  former,  on  the  ground  that  Mr.  Raines* 
Restorationism,  like  his  own  Calvinism,  was  a  relig- 


TQO  LIFE   OF  ELDER  WALTER  SCOTT. 

ious  speculation  or  theory  ;  the  latter,  on  the  ground 
that  Mr.  Raines'  view  on  the  final  restoration  of  the 
wicked,  was  merely  an  opinion  or  inference  which  was 
nowhere  set  forth  in  the  Word  of  God,  and  insisted 
that  unity  in  matters  of  faith,  plainly  taught  in  the 
Scriptures,  was  necessary,  and  not  perfect  agreement 
in  matters  of  mere  opinion  concerning  which  they 
were  silent.  All  he  thought  to  be  necessary  in  the 
matter  was  for  Mr.  Raines  to  preach  the  gospel  as  it 
was  delivered  to  us  by  the  apostles,  and  retain  his 
opinions  on  the  subject  in  question  as  private  prop- 
erty, and  not  attempt  to  make  them  binding  upon 
others.  Were  he  to  pursue  this  course  he  did  not 
doubt  but  that  the  truth  would  soon  deliver  him  from 
his  philosophy,  by  making  him  see  that,  to  base  sal- 
vation on  acceptance  of  the  gospel  offer  was  the  safer 
ground,  and  that  his  theory  would  be  useless  to  all 
that  did  so. 

With  the  sentiments  advanced  by  these  brethren, 
Walter  Scott,  who  had  struggled  long  and  hard  with 
difficulties  growing  out  of  his  own  early  religious 
education,  perfectly  agreed,  as  matters  derived  from 
creed  and  catechism,  once  held  dear,  had  faded  from 
his  own  mind  under  the  increasing  light  of  truth,  so 
he  doubted  not  it  would  be  with  Mr.  Raines,  his  son 
in  the  gospel. 

As  views  and  opinions  cherished  for  years  can  not 
be  renounced  by  an  effort  of  the  will,  Mr.  Raines 
could  not  in  a  moment  abjure  what  he  had  long  cher- 
ished, yet  he  cheerfully  pledged  himself  to  preach 
nothing  beyond  what  he  found  clearly  set  forth  in  the 
Word  of  God,  and,  as  he  had  for  some  time  preached 
no  doubtful  matters  or  opinions,  but  the  gospel  in  its 


A   GREAT  PR  I XCIP J. E  SETTLED.  I9I 

ancient  simplicity,  by  a  large  majority  he  was  ac- 
cepted as  a  Christian  brother.  This  course  demon- 
strated the  feasibility  of  Christian  union,  on  the  broad 
ground  of  agreement  with  regard  to  matters  univer- 
sally held  to  be  clearly  revealed,  and  mutual  toleration 
in  regard  to  those  things  for  which  there  was  no 
scriptural  authority. 

The  principle  thus  settled  was  one  of  immense  im- 
portance and  of  great  practical  value,  as  it  led  to  the 
abandonment  of  all  the  human  elements  in  the  con- 
flicting party  creeds,  and  brought  thousands  together 
upon  the  foundation  of  the  apostles  and  prophets,  and 
united  and   harmonized  them   as  the  truth  only  can. 

The  result  in  the  case  of  Mr.  Raines  was  such  as 
was  foreseen,  and  in  about  two  years  after  he  thus 
wrote  to  Mr.  Campbell  in  regard  to  the  change  which 
had  taken  place  : 

''I  wish  to  inform  you  that  my  '  restorationist '  senti- 
ments have  been  slowly  and  imperceptibly  erased  from  my 
mind  by  the  ministry  of  Paul  and  Peter,  and  some  other 
illustrious  preachers,  with  whose  discourses  and  writings,  I 
need  not  tell  you,  you  seem  to  be  intimately  acquainted. 
After  my  immersion  I  brought  my  mind,  as  much  as  I 
possibly  could,  like  a  blank  surface,  to  the  ministry  of  the 
New  Institution,  and  by  this  means,  I  think,  many  char- 
acters of  truth  have  been  imprinted  in  my  mind  which  did 
not  formerly  exist  there.  *  *  *  j  hope,  during  the  re- 
mainder of  my  days,  to  devote  my  energies,  not  to  the 
building  up  of  sectarian  systems,  but  to  the  teaching  of  the 
Wordr 

This  purpose  Mr.  Raines  has  fully  accomplished  in 
a  faithful   and   most   efficient   ministry  of  more  than 


192  LIFE  OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCOTT. 

forty  years,  and  recently  he  thus  refers  to  the  cher- 
ished remembrance  of  "  the  great  kindness  and  mag- 
nanimity with  which,"  says  he,  ''the  Campbells  and 
Walter  Scott  treated  me  after  my  baptism,  and  before 
I  was  convinced  of  the  erroneousness  of  my  restor- 
ationist  philosophy.  They  used  to  say  to  me  :  *  It  is 
a  mere  philosophy,  like  Calvinism  and  Arminianism, 
and  no  part  of  the  gospel.'  They  made  these  isms 
of  but  little  value,  and  therefore  not  worth  contend- 
ing for,  and  they  did  not  put  themselves  in  conflict 
with  my  philosophy,  but  rather  urged  me  to  preach 
the  gospel  in  matter  and  form  as  did  the  apostles. 
This  all  appeared  to  me  to  be  reasonable,  and  I  did 
it,  and  one  of  the  consequences  was,  that  the  phil- 
osophy within  me  became  extinct,  having  no  longer 
the  coals  .of  contention  by  which  to  warm,  or  the 
crumbs  of  sectarian  righteousness  upon  which  to  feed." 
The  result  of  Elder  Scott's  labors  did  not  leave  the 
matter  of  his  re-appointment  in  the  least  doubtful. 
The  judgment  of  all  was  that  he  should  be  continued 
in  the  position  Tor  which  he  had  shown  such  ad- 
mirable fitness.  The  work,  however,  had  become  too 
great  for  the  labors  of  any  one  man,  and  he  therefore 
requested  that  a  helper  should  be  appointed  for  the 
succeeding  year,  and,  as  William  Hayden  had  shown 
great  zeal  and  ability  for  some  months  past,  he  asked 
that  he  should  be  his  companion  in  toil.  This  pro- 
posal met  with  general  approval,  and  was  followed  by 
some  discussion  as  to  the  bounds  of  their  labors,  some 
thinking  that  they  should  be  confined  within  the 
bounds  of  the  Association,  and  others,  that  the  evan- 
gelists should  be  free  to  go  wherever  a  favorable 
opening  should  present  itself 


]JA  YD  EN'S  APPOIXTMExVr.  1 93 

Scott's  spirit  was  stirred  within  him,  and  with  that 
grace  and  earnestness  by  which  he  was  distinguished, 
he  rose  and  said :  "  Brethren,  give  me  my  Bible,  my 
head,  and  Bro.  William  PIayden,and  we  will  go  forth 
and  convert  the  world  !"  A  minister  rose  and  moved 
that  his  request  be  granted,  and  the  motion  was 
passed  with  enthusiasm,  and  forth  they  went  into  a 
field  white  for  the  harvest,  ready  for  the  reaper's 
gathering  hand.  Well  and  faithfully  did  they  toil, 
rich  and  abundant  were  the  sheaves  which  rewarded 
their  labors  ;  nor  shall  they  be  forgotten  when  the 
Lord  of  the  harvest  shall  come ! 


i/ 


194  LIFE  OF  ELDER    WALTER  SCOTT. 


CHAPTER    XIII. 


Sketch  of  William  Hayden — Early  doubts — Meets  with  Scott — Musical 
talent — Education  in  the  Saddle — Specimen  of  his  style — Extent 
of  his   labors. 


VERY  fortunate  was  Scott  in  having  such  a  man 
as  William  Hayden  for  a  fellow-laborer ;  com- 
panionship in  his  work  he  long  had  needed,  and  in 
him  he  found  one  ready  to  share  in  his  toils  and 
worthy  to  share  his  success.  Their  lives  were  long 
blended  in  sweetest  unison,  their  abundant  labors 
created  no  jealousy,  but  mutually  endeared  them  to 
each  other ;  and,  though,  in  after  years,  Scott  had 
other  helpers  amid  other  scenes — men  whose  talents, 
virtues,  zeal,  and  sacrifices  will  never  be  forgotten — 
yet  none  of  them  ever  reached  that  degree  of  in- 
timacy, or  found  a  place  so  near  his  heart  as  did 
William  Hayden. 

He  was  born  in  Westmoreland  County,  Pennsyl- 
vania, on  the  30th  of  June,  1799.  Four  years  after, 
his  father,  Samuel  Hayden,  removed  to  Youngstown, 
Ohio,  then  almost  an  unbroken  wilderness,  and  W^il- 
liam  grew  up  among  the  hardships  and  privations  of 
a  frontier  life.  He  was  an  unusually  reflective  boy, 
grappling,  even  in  childhood,  with  the  highest  prob- 
lems of  human  duty  and  destiny.  Before  reaching 
his  twelfth  year  he  had  passed  through  the  various 
phases  of  unbelief,  from  the  mildest  form  of  skepticism 
to  absolute  atheism.     Having  reached    the   deepest 


THE   YOUNG  SKEPTIC.  1 95 

darkness  a  reaction  took  place — the  struggle  back  to 
light.  He  came  to  the  conclusion:  "That  if  nothing 
had  eternally,  or  rather,  primarily  existed,  nothing 
could  have  arisen,  or  been  originated ;  hence,  a 
cause  uncaused  is  self-evident."  He  then  reasoned 
that  if  God  made  us  we  are  not  too  insignificant  for 
him  to  govern  and  judge,  and  he  became  a  believer 
in  Divine  Revelation.  In  his  seventeenth  year  he 
made  a  public  profession  of  religion,  being  baptized 
by  Elder  Joshua  Woodvvorth,  and  united  with  the 
Baptist  church,  of  which  his  parents  were  members, 
on  the  19th  of  May,  i8r6.  For  one  of  his  original 
and  independent  turn  of  mind  the  limits  of  the  creed 
of  the  Baptist  church  were  too  narrow,  the  deep  and 
broad  foundations  of  the  Bible  alone  satisfying  the 
craving  of  his  mind  and  heart ;  hence,  when  the  plea 
for  a  return  to  the  Word  of  God  was  advocated  in  the 
"  Christian  Baptist,"  he  accepted  it  as  the  expression 
of  the  conviction  he  had  long  cherished.  As  yet, 
however,  he  had  only  admitted-  it  as  a  principle  by 
which  it  was  safe  to  "be  guided,  not  knowing  whither 
it  would  lead  ;  but  that  principle  became  the  pole 
star  of  his  life,  which  increased  in  lustre  until  its 
close.  He  was  not  quick  and  impulsive,  but  rather 
bold,  and  yet  cautious — cautious  in  examining  any 
thing  new  that  was  offered,  but  bold  to  adopt  and 
advocate  it  when  satisfied  that  it  was  true. 

Up  to  the  year  1827  he  was  greatly  cramped 
by  the  prevalent  Calvin istic  views  which  were  every- 
where taught  among  the  Baptists,  and  when  he  first 
heard  Walter  Scott  calling  sinners  to  repentance  and 
instant  obedience,  it  was  so  contrary  to  the  teaching 
and  practice  in  which  he  -had  been  educated,  that  he 


196  LIFE  OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCOTT. 

was  disposed  to  regard  it  as  a  modern  innovation, 
and  as  such,  to  be  opposed,  rather  than  a  return  to 
the  purity  and  simplicity  of  the  primitive  age. 

Hearing  that  Walter  Scott  was  to  preach  near  Can- 
field,  he  rode  eight  miles  to  hear  him ;  the  school- 
house  where  the  appointment  had  been  made  was 
thronged  when  he  reached  there,  and  the  first  words 
which  fell  from  the  lips  of  the  preacher  had  a  most 
startling  effect.  The  words  were :  "  There  is  not  a 
man  in  this  house  who  believes  that  God  means  what 
he  says."  To  a  Bible  man  like  Hayden,  this  had  the 
air  of  arrogance,  and  he  felt  like  rising  up  and  say- 
ing, as  he  truly  felt,  **  there  is,  sir,  at  least  one  man 
here  who  does  believe  that  God  means  what  he  says," 
but  there  was  something  in  the  manner  of  the  speaker 
which  lead  him  to  retain  his  seat  and  listen  to  the 
proof  of  the  daring  statement.  Scott  then  proceeded 
to  show  that  various  and  conflicting  theories  of  re- 
ligion were  taught,  as  all  present  well  knew,  and  that 
the  advocates  of  each  made  the  Bible  bend  to  their 
own  peculiar  system  ;  that  they  could  not  express 
their  views  in  the  language  of  Holy  Scripture  without 
submitting  it  to  some  unseemly  mutilation  ;  and  that 
men  really  believed  their  own  version  or  interpreta- 
tion of  the  Scriptures  which  was  different  from  and 
even  contradictory  to  the  Word  of  God.  He  main- 
tained that  Bible  questions  admitted  of  Bible  answers, 
and  showed  that  modern  preachers  gave  answers  to 
Bible  questions  greatly  differing  from  those  given  to 
the  same  questions  by  the  apostles  of  Jesus  Christ, 
and  that  if  men  believed  that  God  meant  what  he 
said  they  would  believe  and  act  upon  what  they  ad- 
mitted   to   be    the    Word    of   God.     This    admitted 


THE  BIBLE  MEANS  WHAT  IT  SA  VS.  1 9/ 

neither  of  doubt  nor  reply,  and  the  sincere  and 
honest  hearted  Hayden  felt  that  he  had  not  hereto- 
fore believed  "  that  God  meant  what  he  said,"  but  he 
resolved  that  he  would  do  so  from  that  hour.  He 
realized  now,  for  the  first  time,  that  the  human  theory 
which  he  had  been  preaching  was  not  only  useless 
but  dangerous  ;  that  it  made  those  who  believed  it 
feel  that  their  lot  was  fixed  for  weal  or  woe  before 
they  ever  came  into  the  world,  and,  therefore,  if  true, 
useless,  as  no  change  was  possible ;  and  if  false,  dan- 
gerous in  the  extreme  by  leading  men  to  inaction 
when  life  and  salvation  depended  on  action.  He  felt 
that  the  gospel  he  had  been  preaching  was  a  false 
alarm,  trying  to  make  the  elect  feel  in  danger  when 
there  was  no  danger,  and  that  the  offer  to  the  non- 
elect  was  a  mockery,  as  no  provision  had  been  made 
for  their  rescue.  He  saw  now  that  the  gospel  was 
no  false  alarm,  that  men  were  in  danger  of  perishing ; 
he  saw,  too,  that  the  gospel  ofter  was  not  a  pretense 
but  a  reality,  made  in  good  faith  to  all  who  would  obey 
the  glad  message  and  live.  The  scales  fell  from  his 
eyes,  he  understood  the  Bible  no  longer  by  the  light 
of  tradition  and  usage,  but  as  its  own  interpreter, 
bidding  all  to  come  and  take  of  the  water  of  life  freely. 
From  that  day  his  spiritual  horizon  was  greatly  en- 
larged, and  though  he  had  not  learned  all  the  truth, 
he  had  learned  that  the  Word  of  God  was  the  great 
treasure-house  of  saving  truth,  and  from  its  rich 
stores  he  largely  and  freely  drew.  An  offer  of  salva- 
tion to  all,  now  meant  all,  and  when  a  trembling  sinner 
or  believing  penitent  came  with  the  earnest  cry 
"  What  shall  I  do.?"  he  directed  them  not  to  a  church 
committee,  or  the  judgment  of  their  fellow-men,  but 


1 98  LIFE  OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCOTT. 

to  the  answer  which  was  given  to  the  Philippian  jailer, 
or  that  which  Peter  on  Pentecost  gave  to  the  heart- 
stricken  Jews.  With  great  point  and  simpUcity  he 
gives  an  account  of  his  spiritual  growth  both  before 
and  after  the  period  to  which  we  have  alluded  above, 
and  we  give  it  in  his  own  words. 

*' At  a  meeting  of  the  preachers  of  the  Mahoning  Bap- 
tist Association,  got  up  for  mutual  improvement,  I  was 
quite  startled  by  the  following  saying  :  '  The  true  disciple 
of  Christ  is  he  who  will  follow  the  truth  wheresoever  it 
leads.'  Thought  I,  a  bold  idea.  Is  it  a  safe  one?  Where 
will  it  lead?  Shall  I  adopt  it?  It  might  make  me  some- 
thing else  than  a  Bapitst,  and  thought  it  would  not  be  my 
choice.  But,  thought  I  again,  follow  the  truth ;  where 
can  it  lead  but  to  God  in  heaven?  Dare  I  follow  any 
thing  else  ?  In  a  moment  it  was  resolved  to  subscribe  the 
principle  with  all  my  heart.  Now,  said  I  to  myself,  what 
is  truth?  During  the  same  meeting,  the  same  individual, 
Vv'ho  uttered  the  former  sentiment,  expressed  the  following: 
'  You  will  find,  by  reading  the  Apostles'  preaching,  as 
contained  in  the  book  of  *  The  Acts,'  that  in  preaching 
the  gospel,  they  never  preached  the  doctrine  of  Election.' 
From  this  point  the  affair  progressed  until  I  became 
alarmed  for  my  old  Calvinistic  creed,  and  my  own  sal- 
vation too.  I  concluded,  however,  not  to  abandon  Christ 
nor  the  Bible.  But  our  old-fashioned,  sectarian  way  of 
reading  the  Bible  was  now  found  a  great  hinderance  to  our 
progress  in  search  of  truth.  At  New  Lisbon,  at  a  similar 
meeting,  the  chief  subject  up  was,  the  true  principles  of 
interpretation  of  the  Scriptures.  It  was  easily  perceived 
the  book  was  to  be  read  like  other  books,  /.  ^.,  first,  find 
who  speaks,  who  it  is  spoken  to,  what  is  the  subject,  what 
is  the  object,  and  what  is  the  context.  Then  every  passage 
and  every  word  in  it  has  but  one  meaning,  and  the  classical 


IIAYDEX'S   VIEWS.  1 99 

meaning  is  the  theological  meaning.  We  thus  found  the 
Bible  was  a  self-inter})reter,  and  every  diligent  student  of 
it  could  be  a  self-taught  discii)le.  From  that  time  the 
Bible  was  studied  as  a  new  book,  and  oh,  what  a  change 
it  made  !     It  is  better  remembered  and  felt  than  told. 

*'  Having  learned  the  distinction  between  the  Old  Testa- 
ment and  the  New — that  Judaism  and  Christianity  are  not 
identical ;  that  while  the  Jewish  scriptures  contained  the 
religion  of  symbols  and  types,  and  the  prophecies,  the 
Christian  Scriptures  contained  the  facts,  the  substance,  the 
fulfillment — the  gospel.  We  set  about  learning  what  the 
gospel  is,  and  its  efficacy.  It  was,  by  and  by,  found  that 
the  *  gospel'  is  the  power  of  God  unto  salvation  to  every 
one  that  believes  it ;  that  it  is  the  word  or  ministry  of 
reconciliation,  the  ministration  of  righteous  men.  It  was 
found  that  the  Holy  Spirit  is  not  to  be  expected  to  convert 
nor  sanctify  any  person  but  by  the  gospel.  This  led  to 
inquire  what  the  gospel  is,  and  what  it  is  not.  It  was  dis- 
covered that  the  clergy  were  in  the  habit  of  preaching  the 
traditions,  speculations,  and  opinions  of  former  times,  con- 
tained in  creeds  and  bodies  of  so-called  divinity,  for  the 
gospel  of  Christ.  These  things,  sometimes  by  themselves, 
sometimes  mingled  with  more  or  less  of  the  facts,  precepts, 
and  promises  of  the  gospel,  or,  perchance,  of  the  Jewish 
religion,  were  taught  as  Christianity;  not  relied  on,  how- 
ever, to  convert  men,  but  invoking  the  Divine  Spirit  to 
enter  the  sinner's  heart,  to  change  it  and  give  him  a  new 
motive,  that  he  might  understand  the  heterogeneous  mass 
of  sectarian  and  blind  theology.  Thus,  it  was  not  uncom- 
mon to  find  thousands  of  honest  people  bewildered  and  in 
painful  suspense,  waiting  for  they  knew  not  what — some 
mystic  power  that  they  might  be  converted,  not  knowing 
where  to  go,  who  to  believe,  or  what  to  do.  Thousands, 
discouraged,  disgusted,  and  turned  into  infidelity,  and  per- 
ishing for  lack  of  knowledge ;   while  the  Cliristian  com- 


200   ■  LIFE  OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCOTT. 

munity  was  divided  into  lactions  and  full  of  strife  and 
fierce  contentions  and  rivalries.     Oh,  sad  sight  indeed  ! 

**  The  need  of  reform  was  manifest  to  all  who  had  eyes 
to  see  and  a  heart  to  feel  for  a  guilty  and  perishing  world 
for  whom  the  Savior  died  and  rose  again. 

"Arduous  was  the  work  in  which  the  brethren  had  en- 
gaged, and  wind  and  tide  against  them.  Misrepresenta- 
tions and  unkindness  in  a  thousand  forms,  and  from  those 
who  ought  to  have  been  friends  and  fellow -helpers,  together 
with  much  self-denial  and  sacrifice,  had  to  be  endured. 

''Still  the  work  went  on.  God  had  put  them  on  the 
trace.  They  had  the  infallible  directory  of  Heaven,  and 
the  true  key  of  knowledge,  and  an  immortal  crown  to 
cheer  them  on." 

In  choosing  Hayden  as  his  fellow-laborer  Scott  was 
influenced  not  only  by  his  preaching  ability  but  also  by 
his  fine  musical  powers  ;  said  he,  '*  there  is  not  a  man 
in  the  Association  that  can  sing  like  him."  He  had  a 
voice  of  great  depth  and  compass,  at  one  time  sweet 
and  melodious  as  the  south  wind's  sigh,  at  another, 
swelling  out  into  tempest  tones.  He  instructed  his 
hearers  by  his  speech,  but  he  melted  and  moved  them 
by  his  songs,  and  all  who  knew  him  remembered  him 
as  the  sweet  singer. 

Thrown  into  the  field  of  labor  with  such  a  gifted 
spirit  as  Scott,  he  made  rapid  improvement  in  preacR- 
ing,  which  became  his  life  work.  His  educational 
opportunities  had  been  limited ;  books  were  then 
comparatively  rare,  and  he  found  it  of  immense  ad- 
vantage to  be  in  the  society  and  enjoy  the  instruction 
of  Scott,  who  was  at  that  time  one  of  the  most  accom- 
plished scholars  in  the  West,  and  who  was  delighted 
with   a   pupil   of  such   parts  and   promise.     Except 


TEACHING  ON  HORSEBACK.  201 

when  preaching',  almost  all  the  time  in  the  saddle, 
visiting  the  various  points  at  which  their  labors  were 
needed,  they  enjoyed  fine  opportunities  for  conversa- 
tion in  those  rides  which  else  had  been  long  and 
tedious  ;  and  when  the  place  of  labor  was  reached  the 
pupil  had  a  fine  opportunity  for  studying  the  rich 
and  admirable  style  of  the  tutor,  while  he  in  turn,  with 
equal  pleasure,  had  the  opportunity  to  mark  the  im- 
provement of  his  beloved  pupil. 

Their  intercourse  was  respectful,  tender,  and  afi'ec- 
tionate,  and  at  the  same  time  free  and  unrestrained. 
Scott's  learning  and  genius  was  not  chilling  and  awe- 
inspiring,  but  as  a  father  instructing  a  son  who 
delighted  to  learn,  so  he  instructed  his  younger 
companion,  whom  he  affectionately  called  "  Willy." 
Hayden  would  sometimes  spend  so  much  time  on  his 
introduction  as  to  shorten  his  discourse  so  much  as 
to  throw  it  out  of  proportion  and  symmetry,  which 
Scott  would  correct  the  next  day  as  they  rode  to- 
gether to  another  appointment,  by  saying,  "  Willy, 
did  you  ever  know  a  fish  to  be  all  head?"  followed 
by  instructions  that  were  never  forgotten.  Occa- 
sionally, too,  he  would  be  impelled  by  his  feelings  to 
exhort  his  hearers  at  the  opening  of  his  discourse, 
and  the  result  would  be  that  the  sermon  would  all 
run  to  exhortation,  of  which  Scott  would  playfully 
remind  him,  on  the  first  suitable  occasion,  by  saying, 
"Willy,  did  you  ever  see  a  fish  all  tail.-*"  Hayden 
was  an  apt  pupil,  seldom  were  the  same  instructions 
needed  twice,  and  his  admirable  good  sense,  and 
strong,  though  somewhat  uncultivated,  powers,  soon 
gave  him  a  mastery  over  an  audience  which  but  few 
have  been  able  to  attain.     Being  in  almost  constant 


202  LIFE  OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCOTT.     . 

communion  they  exchanged  thoughts  on  all  matters 
connected  with  their  work.  The  inquisitive  turn  of 
Hayden,  his  quick  insight  and  profound  penetration, 
was  a  fine  stimulus  to  the  richly-stored  mind  and 
glowing  fancy  of  Scott,  while  he  in  turn  was  bene- 
fitted by  the  solid  judgment  and  keen  native  good 
sense  of  hi^  younger  companion.  Together  they 
traversed  the  Reserve,  performing  an  amount  of 
labor  that  now  seems  incredible,  often,  too,  amid  re- 
proach and  opposition,  but  always  with  most  cheer- 
ing success  ;  and,  though,  in  after  years,  welcome 
and  glad  greetings  hailed  them  in  the  scenes  of  their 
early  and  arduous  labors,  the  days  of  toil  and  conflict 
were  sweet  to  remember. 

After  two  or  three  years  of  such  intercourse  as  we 
have  attempted  to  describe,  Scott  left  the  Reserve  for 
other  fields  of  labor,  but  Hayden,  who  had  become 
by  that  time  a  man  of  acknowledged  power,  remained 
and  carried  on  to  greater  perfection  the  work  which 
they  together  had  begjan.  Each  year  for  more  than 
twenty  found  him  a  stronger  man  than  the  year  be- 
fore, and  he  never  visited  a  place  in  which  he  could 
not  find  a  warm  welcome  whenever  he  returned. 
No  preacher  was  ever  more  widely  or  favorably 
known  within  the  bounds  of  the  Western  Reserve 
than  he  ;  for  thirty-five  years  he  there  labored  zeal- 
ously and  faithfully  for  the  glory  of  God  and  the 
welfare  of  his  fellow-men,  and  many,  very  many, 
will  be  the  stars  in  his  crown  of  rejoicing. 

After  their  separation  they  seldom  met,  but  no 
estrangement  grew  out  of  long  absence ;  the  teacher 
never  forgot  his  beloved  pupil,  and  the  pupil  never 
ceased    to    cherish    the   warmest    affection    for    his 


IIA  YDEN'S  APPEAR AxYCE.  203 

teacher.  In  different  parts  of  the  vineyard  they 
labored  for  the  same  Lord,  bearing  the  same  burden 
and  heat  of  the  day  ;  partners  in  toil  here,  they  are 
partners  now  in  the  rest  that  remaineth  for  the 
people  of  God. 

In  stature,  Hayden  was  not  over  medium  height,  but 
well  knit  and  capable  of  great  labor  and  endurance. 
His  eyes  were  gray,  complexion  dark,  and  rendered 
more  so  than  was  natural  by  almost  constant  ex- 
posure ;  a  warm  heart  within  gave  a  kindly  ex- 
pression to  his  features,  and  when  before  his  audi- 
ence there  was  that  in  his  face  that  impressed  his 
hearers  with  the  thought  that  they  were  in  the 
presence  of  an  earnest,  honest  man  ;  and  his  faith- 
fulness in  pointing  out  their  duty  and  danger  only 
served  to  deepen  the  conviction  which  his  appear- 
ance suggested. 

His  discourses  were  severely  thought  out ;  he  was 
a  safe  preacher,  never  speaking  at  random ;  his  views 
were  reached  by  careful  examination  and  seldom 
needed  a  change ;  he  was,  moreover,  a  natural 
logician,  with  the  rare  power  of  moving  to  action, 
by  his  exhortations,  those  whom  his  arguments  had 
convinced. 

He  seldom  committed  his  thoughts  to  paper,  and 
when  he  did  so,  much  of  the  inspiration  of  his  spoken 
discourses  was  wanting ;  the  sentiment,  however,  was 
always  pure ;  and  the  following,  we  doubt  not,  will  be 
prized  by  those  who  knew  and  loved  him. 

'''And  there  was  a  strife  also  among  them,  which  of 

them  should  be  accounted  the  greatest.'     Luke  xxii :  24. 

"False  ambition  has,  perhaps,  been  productive  of  more 


204  LIFE  OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCOTT. 

evil  to  the  human  race,  than  any  other  cause.  It  is  noth- 
ing else  than  supreme  selfishness.  It  sometimes  assumes 
very  specious  names  and  appearances.  When  it  strives  for 
the  mastery  in  the  political  world,  it  styles  itself  patriotism. 
Then  you  hear  the  demagogue  eloquently  pleading  the 
interests  of  the  'dear  people,'  the  honor  of  his  country, 
while  denouncing  his  competitors  as  enemies  to  both. 
When  it  seeks  for  pre-eminence  in  the  church,  it  shows 
itself  in  zeal  for  orthodoxy,  for  long  established  usages. 
Or,  perchance,  it  grows  dissatisfied  with  all  these,  and  would 
throw  society  into  a  ferment  and  proclaim  'reform,'  'prog- 
ress with  the  spirit  of  the  age,'  placing  itself  at  the  head 
of  parties,  armies,  and  nations,  or  if  disappointed  in  this, 
turning  misanthrope,  finds  fault  with  every  thing  and  com- 
plains of  the  ingratitude  of  mankind.  In  the  church,  the 
individual  no  longer  able  to  endure,  or  fellowship  the  cor- 
ruption and  hypocrisy  of  brethren,  leaves  the  church  and 
concludes  he  can  best  serve  his  God  (/.  <?.),  his  own  pride 
and  envy  alone.  Such  persons  are  very  zealous  Christians 
so  long  as  they  can  be  put  forward  and  have  things  in  their 
own  way.  If  an  individual  is  suspected  of  possessing  more 
of  the  confidence  and  esteem  of  the  brethren  than  himself, 
he  can  never  hear  without  pain,  such  brother  commended ; 
but  to  ease  his  mind  with  as  good  a  grace  as  may  be,  he  will 
admit  there  are  some  good  qualities  in  the  brother,  'but' 
he  has  certain  faults,  which  ought  to  be  known  in  order  to 
form  a  just  estimate  of  his  character. 

"Doubtless  many  deceive  themselves  into  a  notion  that 
their  motives  are  pure,  that  it  is  the  glory  of  God,  and  the 
interest  of  his  cause  they  have  at  heart,  when  pride,  envy, 
and  jealousy  lie  at  the  bottom  of  all  they  say  and  do.  Even 
the  pure  in  heart  will  have  enough  to  do  to  keep  them- 
selves pure.  The  religion  and  morals  of  Paganism  were 
quite  consistent  with,  nay  encouraged  and  patronized  this 
love  of  pre-eminence,  insomuch  that  '  a  strife  for  the  mas- 
tery,' in  all  their  games  and  pursuits  in  peace  and  war,  was 


SERMON  ON  HUMILITY.  205 

most  manifest.  Their  historians  and  poets,  their  painters 
and  sculptors,  published  and  extolled,  celebrated  and  gave 
a  sort  of  immortality  to  the  successful  aspirant,  which  in 
turn  inflamed  the  ardor  and  fired  the  ambition  of  others. 
The  consequences  were,  that  pride  and  all  the  warring  pas- 
sions of  their  nature  were  let  loose  and  stimulated  to  the 
utmost ;  the  very  gods  were,  indeed,  supposed  to  be  delighted 
with  the  contest,  insomuch  that  envy,  rage,  malevolence, 
with  all  their  consequences,  filled  the  world. 

''The  world  could  not  possibly  be  reformed  without  a 
religion  essentially  different,  which  should  cut  off  the  very 
root  of  all  those  principles  of  action  and  institute  others, 
which  should  implant,  cherish,  and  cultivate  to  perfection 
the  opposite  of  the  lust  of  the  flesh,  and  the  lust  of  the  eye, 
and  the  pride  or  ambition  of  the  world. 

''Christianity  is  the  only  system  of  religion  and  morals 
that  can  bless  the  human  race.  Instead  of  pride,  humility; 
instead  of  envy,  esteem  for  others  ;  instead  of  hatred  and 
revenge,  gentleness,  brotherly  kindness,  and  benevolence. 
The  gospel  reveals  to  us  the  true  state  and  condition  of 
mankind,  all  guilty  before  God.  With  all  their  boasted  at- 
tainments, discoveries,  and  improvements,  their  wisdom, 
learning,  arts,  pleasures,  and  religion,  all  wrong,  ignorant, 
false,  vain,  destructive  to  man,  offensive  to  God,  without 
God,  without  hope,  lost.  At  the  same  time,  the  compas- 
sion of  the  everlasting  God,  his  truth,  justice,  and  mercy 
revealed  in  the  sacrificing  for  our  sins  his  only  begotten 
Son,  the  humbling,  repenting,  and  submitting  of  ourselves 
to  him,  the  infallible  assurance  of  forgiveness,  of  resurrec- 
tion and  eternal  life,  and  the  eternal  condemnation  of  all 
who  neglect  the  gospel,  the  whole  sustained  by  miracles, 
signs,  wonders,  and  prophecies,  addressed  to  the  senses 
and  reason  of  mankind,  calling  for  immediate  submission. 
Such  a  proclamation  honestly  heeded,  could  not  fail  to 
reform  the  human  race.  Nothing  else  could  do  it.  Hence 
the  gospel,  and  nothing  but  the  gospel,  is  '  the  power  of 


206  LIFE  OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCOTT. 

God  to  the  salvation  of  all  who  really  believe  it.'  'Tis 
this  and  only  this  that  makes  man  to  know  himself — his 
origin,  destiny,  nature,  relation,  wants,  wounds,  sorrows, 
and  remedies.  The  value  his  Maker  sets  upon  him,  the 
vanity  of  the  world  and  all  its  ambition  and  pomp,  how 
empty  and  foolish  its  pleasures,  how  good  and  gracious  is 
th'e  Lord,  how  kind  and  gentle  the  Savior,  how  dignified, 
majestic,  powerful,  rich,  and  glorious,  till  his  heart  de- 
lighted, and  his  soul  enraptured  with  the  love  and  philan- 
thropy of  the  God  and  Father  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 
he  is  reconciled  in  feeling,  and  obeys  from  the  heart  the 
gospel ;  being  then  free  from  sin,  he  is  a  child  of  God,  an 
neir  of  glory;  his  spirit  is  full  of  joy,  abounding  in  all  com*- 
passion  to  man  his  fellow. 

'•'  True  Christianity  makes  true  Christians,  corrupt  Chris- 
tianity makes  at  best  imperfect  Christians.  In  the  latter 
case,  however  sincere,  partyism  and  all  its  attendant  evils, 
will  more  or  less  prevail;  in  the  former,  union,  humility, 
love,  peace,  and  good  will,  and  all  moral  excellence,  must 
be  the  fruit. 

''The  first  thing  Christ  said,  in  his  sermon  on  the  mount, 
w^as,  'Blessed  are  the  pooi*  in  spirit,  for  theirs  is  the  king- 
dom of  Heaven.'  Instead  of  extolling  pride,  ambition, 
and  turbulence,  which  have  filled  the  earth  with  carnage, 
crimes,  and  tears,  he  condemns  them  all,  and  inculcates 
those  principles  which,  however,  despised  by  heroes,  poets, 
orators,  statesmen,  are  the  only  principles,  that  can  pro- 
mote '  Glory  to  God  in  the  highest,  peace  on  earth,  and 
good  will  among  men.' 

"But  alas  !  How  slow  to  learn,  how  slow  to  practice  the 
pure  religion,  the  Holy  Gospel  of  the  Redeemer!  And 
the  disciples  making  their  boasts  of  the  Bible  alone,  how 
fa7'  from  appreciating,  'honoring,  and  exhibiting  pure 
Christianity.  Have  we  not  seen  envy  and  strife,  insub- 
ordination, jealousy,  rivalry,  and  recklessness?  'Which 
of  us  shall  be  accounted  the  greatest.'     I  am  not  sure  that 


SERMON  ON  HUMILITY.  20/ 

this  demon  has  not  pursued  at  times  persons  of  all  stations, 
the  most  obscure  and  private  disciples,  deacons,  overseers, 
preachers,  exhorters,  editors.  *  My  sacred  honor '  is  too 
often  mistaken  for  the  honor  of  Christ  and  his  cause.  It  is 
true,  while  we  are  clothed  with  mortality  we  shall  be  liable 
to  faults  and  imperfections  of  character.  We  see  such 
things  every-where,  even  in  'the  twelve,'  before  they 
received  power  from  on  high.  It  is  also  to  be  lamented 
that  men  of  the  world  choose  rather  to  look  at  the  imper- 
fections of  Christians,  than  at  the  perfections  of  'Chris- 
tianity and  its  glorious  author.  But  we  can  not  prevent  it; 
they  will  not  look  at  the  religion  of  Christ,  but  through  its 
advocates;  and,  therefore,  the  Savior  said,  'Let  your  light 
so  shine  before  men,  that  others  seeing  your  good  works 
shall  glorify  your  Father  which  is  in  heaven.'  And  an 
apostle  said,  'So  is  the  will  of  God  that  with  well  doing 
you  put  to  silence  the  ignorance  of  foolish  men.'  And  in  no 
other  way  can  we  open  the  way  to  the  human  heart.  There- 
fore, how  pertinent  all  the  exhortations  of  the  apostles  to 
purity,  humility,  peace,  and  love. 

"  I  would  not  be  understood,  however,  to  say  there  is  no 
ambition  to  be  cherished  by  the  gospel,  or  that  there  is  no 
true  greatness  to  be  aimed  at  by  the  Christian.  Far  from  it. 
But  the  ambition  and  greatness  here  is  free  from  envy,  and 
is  compatible  with  the  most  pure  and  sincere  esteem  for  all, 
even  those  who  excel  us.  Christ  said  whoever  wishes  to  be 
greac  must  be  servant.  Now  suppose  a  brother  superior  for 
talent,  education,  or  property.  That  brother  is  not  haughty 
nor  over-bearing;  but  gentle,  kind,  condescending,  full  of 
liberality,  and  all  goodness ;  affects  no  superiority  in  ap- 
parel, style,  or  manners;  seeks  not  applause;  rather  diffident 
than  assuming;  delighting  in  thehappiness  of  others;  taking 
pleasure  in  doing  all  he  can  to  happify  all  around  him,  in 
his  family,  neighborhood,  the  church,  and  the  world  abroad. 
Who  can  envy  him?     A  man  whose  only  superiority  con- 


208  LIFE  OF  ELDER  WALTER  SCOTT. 

sists  in  goodness,  can  not  be  envied  by  any  man,  saint  or 
sinner,  scarcely  by  a  hypocrite. 

''Goodness,  supreme  goodness,  no  man  can  hate.  No 
matter  how  much  worth,  talent,  learning,  or  fame  be  con- 
nected with  it,  if  these  be  subordinate  to  goodness,  and 
directed  by  wisdom,  they  will  command  the  admiration 
and  affection  of  the  human  heart.  Therefore,  it  is  that  we 
love  God.  Therefore,  it  is  that  certain  men  will  have  an 
influence  in  society  beyond  others  and  are  not  envied  but 
beloved. 

''So,  also,  the  good  mail  can  not  envy  any  one.  He  can 
not  envy  the  rich  brother  while  himself  is  poor,  if  the  rich 
one  is  governed  by  goodness.  And  if  the  rich,  or  learned, 
or  talented  be  he  not  a  good  man,  though  he  be  famed  and 
admired,  and  have  an  influence  beyond  what  moral  worth 
gives  him,  still  his  fame  and  influence  must  have  an  end, 
and  his  pride  will  have  a  fall;  consequently,  he  is  not  to  be 
envied. 

"The  greatest  man  in  the  world,  then,  is  he  who  is  most 
like  the  Savior  of  men;  wlio  lays  all  his  honors,  gifts,  or 
attainments  at  the  feet  of  Jesus,  and  gives  him  all  the  glory. 
It  is  he  who  abounds  in  all  goodness,  purity,  and  godly 
fear.  It  is  he  whose  soul  is  moved  at  the  wretchedness  of 
mankind,  and  is  only  concerned  to  see  men  redeemed  and 
God  glorified  through  Jesus  Christ.  It  is  he  who  has  the 
least  taste,  and  is  least  attracted  by  the  things  admired  and 
pursued  by  the  giddy,  gay,  ungodly  world  of  mankind, 
while  he  glories  in  the  Lord." 

As  already  stated,  he  was  chosen  by  Scott  him- 
self as  a  fellow-laborer,  and  the  choice  was  confirmed 
by  the  unanimous  vote  of  the  Association,  in  August, 
1828,  and  in  October,  of  the  same  year,  he  was  form- 
ally ordained  to  the  gospel  ministry  by  Elders  Scott 
and  Bentley.   "  From  the  time  of  his  selection  and  or- 


IIA  YDEN'S  APyUXDANT  LABORS.  209 

dination,  preaching  the  gospel  was  his  chief  business. 
During  his  ministry  of  near  thirty- five  years,  he  'trav- 
eled nearly  ninety  thousand  miles,  full  sixty  thousand 
of  which  he  made  on  horseback  ;  that  is,  by  this  latter 
mode  of  travel,  more  than  twice  around  the  world  ! 
These  travels  extended  from  Syracuse,  New  York,  on 
the  east,  to  the  Mississippi  River  on  the  west,  and 
from  the  Provinces  of  Canada  to  Virginia.  Yet  his 
labors  were  mostly  performed  on  the  Western  Re- 
serve and  its  borders,  in  north-eastern  Ohio,  where 
he  planted  many  churches.  The  baptisms  by  his  own 
hands  were  twelve  hundred  and  seven,  about  seven 
hundred  of  whom  were  females.  He  preached  over 
nine  thousand  sermons,  which  is  two  hundred  and 
sixty-one  discourses  per  annum  for  every  year  of  his 
public  life.  He  once  preached  fifty  sermons  in  the 
month  of  November  alone.  Besides  all  these  pulpit 
services  his  private  labors  were  abundant  and  inces- 
sant. The  people  gathered  about  him  for  the  instruc- 
tion and  edification  of  his  conversation  ;  few  excelled 
him  in  this  kind  of  power.  He  had  a  peculiar  turn 
for  winning  attention,  and  imparting  instruction  in 
the  social  circle,  mingling  the  humor  that  charms 
with  the  experience  that  imparts  information.  Few 
could  relate  or  relish  an  anecdote  better,  or  apply 
one  more  appropriately  for  the  purpose  of  illustration. 
Yet  he  never  indulged  in  recitals  of  any  in  which  the 
adorable  Name,  or  any  of  the  titles  of  the  Most  High, 
were  even  playfully,  much  less  irreverently,  intro- 
duced ;  a  practice  against  which  he  bore  frequent  and 
forcible  testimony. 

The  mental  powers  of  William  Hayden  were  most 
rapid  and  energetic  in  action.     His  method  of  reason- 
18 


210  LIFE  OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCOTT. 

ing  tended  to  generalization,  embracing  great  variety 
in  subject  and  method.  Though  not  favored  in  early- 
life  with  an  extensive  education,  his  taste,  discern- 
ment, and  industry  very  fully  supplied  this  lack  of 
opportunity,  and  stored  his  mind  with  much  general 
information  and  critical  historic  learning.  The  mas- 
ter quality  of  his  mind  was  his  almost  matchless 
memory — memory  of  history,  incident,  event,  and 
chronology.  In  all  his  temporal  business,  of  which 
he  transacted  considerable  all  life-long,  he  kept  no 
book  account.  He  made  no  memorandum  of  his  ser- 
mons, and  he  could  report  at  any  time,  promptly  and 
accurately,  the  number  of  his  sermons,  baptisms, 
miles  of  travel,  and  multitudes  of  incidents  connected 
with  all  these  matters,  and  all  without  pen  or  pencil 
to  aid  him  !  It  were  vanity,  perhaps,  to  assign  him 
in  this  behalf  a  place  with  Macaulay  or  Johnson  ;  but 
all  who  knew  him,  wondered  at  his  power — a  power 
which  was  at  his  command,  with  undiminished  force, 
up  to  the  hour  of  his  death.  In  his  character  were 
chiefly  discernible  firmness,  inflexibility,  affection, 
and  qualities  eminently  social  and  hospitable.  His 
religion  was  conscience  and  reverence ;  his  humanity, 
a  tender  and  systematic  benevolence."  He  gave 
largely  for  humane,  religious,  and  educational  pur- 
poses, and  left  behind  him  an  example  worthy  of  imi- 
tation. 


A  PLEASING  IXC  ID  EAT.  21 


CHAPTER    XIV 


A  pleasing  incident — Bentley  and  Bosworth  appointed  as  helpers — Dissolu- 
tion of  the  Mahoning  Association — Scott's  inflexibility  of  purpose^ 
Campbell  moved  by  his  eloquence — Death  in  his  family — Replies  to 
Robert  Dale  Owen. 


THE  year  1829  was  very  fruitful  in  results; 
wherever  Scott  and  Hayden  went  large  crowds 
assembled,  and  hundreds  yielded  to  the  truth  and 
were  gathered  into  the  fold.  Among  the  places 
visited  were  Palmyra,  Deerfield,  Windham,  Mantua, 
Braceville,  Bazetta,  and,  indeed,  nearly  every  place 
of  importance  on  the  Reserve.  During  this,  the  first 
year  of  the  joint  labors  of  himself  and  William  Hay- 
den, an  incident  of  great  interest  to  Bro.  Scott,  and 
one  deeply  and  intimately  associated  with  the  inter- 
ests and  success  of  the  work  in  which  he  was  en- 
gaged, occurred. 

The  reader  will,  doubtless,  recall  a  favorite  pupil  of 
Mr.  Scott's,  while  engaged  in  teaching  in  Pittsburg 
many  years  before,  named  Richardson,  under  the 
roof  of  whose  father  the  teacher  found  a  home.  This 
pupil  had  now  become  a  man,  and  was  fulfilling  the 
promise  of  his  early  youth  ;  in  addition  to  fine  liter- 
ary training,  he  added  a  course  of  medical  study,  and 
was  now  engaged  in  the  practice  of  medicine  near 
Pittsburg.  He  was,  moreover,  a  deeply  religious 
man,  a  member  of  the  Episcopal  church,  and  was 
confirmed  by  the  Rev.  William  White,  the  venerable 


212  LIFE  OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCOTT. 

Bishop  of  Pennsylvania  ;  his  pastor  was  the  Rev. 
J.  H.  Hopkins,  afterward  Bishop  of  Vermont ;  and 
such  were  his  attainments  and  piety  that  he  was 
urged  to  enter  the  ministry  of  the  church  of  which 
he  was  a  member.  It  was  a  pleasant  surprise  to  him 
when  his  old  teacher,  then  living  at  Canfield,  Ohio, 
who  had  never  ceased  to  feel  a  deep  interest  in  him, 
most  unexpectedly  paid  him  a  visit.  Mr.  Scott,  full 
of  the  theme  which  had  for  the  last  year  or  two 
fully  occupied  his  mind,  gave  the  doctor  an  account 
his  labors  on  the  Western  Reserve,  and  the  excite- 
ment which  had  been  aroused  and  the  success  which 
had  attended  them ;  the  doctor  felt  that  he  was  a 
pupil  still,  and,  with  the  deepest  interest,  listened  to 
what  he  considered  one  of  the  most  important  mat- 
ters that  had  ever  engaged  his  attention.  The  fol- 
lowing is  a  full  account  of  the  interview  and  its  re- 
sults, from  the  Memoirs  of  Alexander  Campbell : 
"  During  the  interview  he  related  many  interesting 
incidents  connected  with  his  labors  on  the  Reserve, 
which  excited  much  surprise  on  the  part  of  the  doctor, 
who  had  as  yet  remained  quite  uninformed  in  respect 
to  the  character  of  the  religious  movement  in  which 
Mr.  Scott  was  now  engaged,  and  was  still  a  member 
of  the  Episcopal  church,  though  at  the  time  in  com- 
munion with  the  Presbyterian  church  in  his  immediate 
neighborhood.  The  statement  that  the  Christian  in- 
stitution was  quite  distinct  from  the  Jewish,  and  had 
a  definite  origin  on  the  day  of  Pentecost  (Acts  ii.), 
and  that  penitent  believers  were  then  commanded 
to  be  baptized  for  the  remission  of  sins,  seemed  to 
him  as  a  new  revelation,  accustomed  as  he  had  been 


RICH  A  RDSON  IS  BA  P  TIZED.  2 1 3 

to  the  confused  ideas  of  the  different  parties  on  these 
subjects. 

"  Upon  searching  out  the  import  of  the  word  bap- 
tism, after  Mr.  Scott's  departure,  he  soon  found  it  to 
be  immersion,  and  perceived  that,  from  trusting  to 
human  teachers,  he  had  been  previously  deceived  in 
regard  to  it.  Resolving,  therefore,  from  thenceforth 
to  be  directed  by  the  Bible  alone,  he  began  a  careful 
re-examination  of  it.  Reflecting  that  whatever  might 
be  urged  about  'apostolic  succession,'  there  could 
be  no  flaw  in  the  credentials  of  the  apostles  them- 
selves, and  that  they  at  least  knew  how  to  preach  the 
gospel,  he  was  convinced  that  had  he  and  the  whole 
world  been  present  when  Peter  said,  'Repent  and  be 
baptized,  every  one  of  you,  in  the  name  of  Jesus 
Christ,  for  the  remission  of  sins,'  all  would  have  been 
equally  bound  to  obey,  and  that  the  case  was  in  no- 
wise different  now  with  those  to  whom  this  word  of 
salvation  came.  There  could  be  no  danger  of  decep- 
tion or  mistake  in  trusting  to  the  words  of  one  who 
'spake  as  the  Holy  Spirit  gave  him  utterance,'  and 
he  therefore  felt  it  to  be  his  duty  to  submit  to  the 
divine  requirements.  Setting  out  accordingly,  he, 
after  a  three  days'  journey,  found  Mr.  Scott  holding  a 
meeting  at  a  barn  in  Shalersville,  on  the  Reserve, 
which  he  reached  about  two  o'clock  on  the  Lord's 
day,  just  after  the  audience  had  been  dismissed.  Six 
persons  had  come  forward,  and  were  preparing  for 
baptism  at  the  farm-house,  and  the  doctor,  pressing 
through  the  crowd,  greatly  surprised  and  delighted 
Mr.  Scott  by  informing  him  that  he  had  come  to  be 
baptized.  After  the  immersion  the  meeting  was  re- 
sumed, and  William  Hayden  addressed  the  oeople,  his 


214  LIFE  OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCOTT. 

discourse  being  the  first  the  doctor  heard  from  any 
preacher  in  the  Reformation  ;  nor  had  he,  before  going 
down  that  day  to  the  banks  of  the  softly-flowing 
Cuyahoga,  ever  witnessed  an  immersion,  having  been 
led  by  the  Word  of  God  alone  to  take  a  solitary  jour- 
ney of  one  hundred  and  twenty  miles  in  order  to 
render  the  obedience  which  it  demanded,  and  to 
find  in  that  obedience  the  fulfillment  of  the  Divine 
promises,  and  a  happy  relief  from  the  illusive  hopes 
and  fears,  based  on  frames  and  feelings,  which  for 
several  years  had  constituted  his  religious  experience." 

The  adoption  of  his  views  by  one  so  capable  of 
judging  of  their  truth,  and  so  able  to  defend  them 
was,  of  course,  highly  gratifying  to  Mr.  Scott,  and 
the  zeal  and  ability  of  the  new  convert  soon  showed 
that  he  was  a  more  valuable  accession  than  even  his 
partial  friend  and  tutor  had  supposed. 

Soon  afrer  his  baptism,  his  pastor,  the  Rev.  Dr. 
Hopkins,  addressed  him  a  letter  of  remonstrance  and 
regret  at  the  course  he  had  taken,  which  called  forth 
a  reply,  which,  in  a  striking  manner,  set  forth  the 
weakness  of  a  religion  with  much  of  a  human  admix- 
ture, and  the  power  of  the  simple  and  unadulterated 
truth  ;  or  the  weakness  of  a  creed  in  comparison  with 
the  plain  teachings  of  the  Word  of  God. 

It  was  a  happy  circumstance  that  Mr.  Richardson 
was  so  soon  called  upon  to  defend  his  faith,  as  it 
opened  the  way  to  a  career  of  great  usefulness  ;  for, 
since  that  time  his  pen  has  been  almost  constantly 
engaged  upon  many  of  the  most  important  religious 
questions  of  the  day ;  and  among  all  the  writers  who 
have  used  their  pens  in  the  advocacy  of  the  "Refor- 
mation" he  is  not  only  the  most  voluminous,  but  the 


BENTLE  Y  AND  B  OS  IVOR  Til  APPOINTED.      2 1  5 

most  polished  and  graceful.  He  has  been  more 
closel)'  identified  with  the  movement  set  on  foot  by 
the  joint  labors  of  Campbell  and  Scott  than  any 
other  man  in  our  ranks,  and  will  go  down  to  posterity 
as  the  historian  of  one  of  the  greatest  religious  move- 
ments of  modern  times.  His  whole  life  has  been 
spent  in  literary,  religious,  and  scientific  research. 
For  eighteen  years  he  was  Professor  of  Chemistry 
in  Bethany  College,  and  at  the  same  time  co-editor 
of  the  "Millennial  Harbinger,"  one  of  the  ablest  ex- 
ponents of  modern  religious  thought.  The  doctor 
also  aided  in  the  organization  of  the  University  of 
Kentucky  from  1859  ^^  '^^^?)y  ^^^  now,  in  the  retire- 
ment of  Bethphage,  over-looking  Bethany,  he  is  still 
actively  and  usefully  employed,  ever  and  anon  giving 
to  the.  religious  world,  through  the  press,  his  best 
thoughts,  on  the  best  of  themes.  May  he  be  spared 
yet  many  years,  and  may  his  sun  come  to  a  golden 
setting. 

The  report  of  Scott  andHayden  to  the  Association 
of  their  labors  during  the  year  was  highly  encourag- 
ing; and,  as  the  work  was  constantly  growing,  and 
demands  for  preaching  far  above  their  ability  to 
meet,  Adamson  Bentley  and  Marcus  Bosworth  were 
appointed  to  aid  in  the  work.  The  latter  had  been 
led  into  the  truth  by  hearing  Scott  at  Braceville 
in  1827  or  1828,  and  proved  to  be  a  very  successful 
preacher.  He  was  a  man  of  true  piety  and  deep  feel- 
ing ;  the  condition  of  lost  sinners  and  the  love  of  the 
Savior  were  themes  that  he  could  seldom  touch  with- 
out weeping,  and,  as  a  natural  consequence,  his  un- 
afiected  tenderness  would  move  his  audience  to  tears. 
Of  Elder  Bentley  we  have  already  spoken  at  length 


2l6  LIFE  OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCOTT. 

as  a  pure  man  and  an  able  minister,  and  certainly, 
in  modern  times,  no  four  men  ever  produced  such  a 
revolution  in  public  sentiment  as  did  these  in  the 
field  of  their  labors. 

The  year  passed  by  and  the  Association  met,  as  it 
proved,  for  the  last  time  as  an  ecclesiastical  body,  at 
Austintown.  Over  one  thousand  converts  were  re- 
ported ;  a  wide-spread  and  earnest  religious  interest 
had  been  awakened  ;  many  of  the  new  converts,  full 
of  love  and  zeal,  were  present,  and  all  were  full  of 
joy  and  hope.  Several  Associations,  especially  those 
of  Redstone  and  Beaver,  had  pursued  a  very  arbitrary 
course,  with  regard  to  churches  and  individuals  who 
could  not  accept  fully  all  that  was  required  by  the 
Creed  and  Articles  of  Faith  ;  and  the  members  of  the 
Mahoning  Association,  fearing  that  such  bodies  might 
work  much  evil,  brought  up  the  question  as  to  the 
scriptural ity  of  such  organizations.  Mr.  Campbell 
thought  such  meetings  under  proper  limitations  might 
be  useful,  although  opposed  to  them  as  church  tribu- 
nals, and  as  the  churches  of  which  the  Mahoning 
Association  was  composed  had  been  enlightened  so 
far  as  to  lay  aside  all  human  standards  of  faith  and 
practice,  he  thought  they  were  in  no  such  danger  as 
those  who  still  retained  them.  A  large  majority, 
however,  were  opposed  to  the  continuance  of  the 
Association  ;  so  much  tyranny  had  been  exercised 
recently  by  bodies  bearing  that  name,  that  it  was  felt 
necessary  to  have  some  decisive  action  on  the  matter. 
John  Henry,  who  had  been  among  the  first  to  enter 
the  ranks  of  reform,  and  was  already  quite  influential, 
moved  "that  the  Mahoning  Association,  as  an  ad- 
visory council,  or  an    ecclesiastical   tribunal,  should 


rJlE  MAHONING  ASSOCIATION  CEASES.        217 

cease  to  exist."  This  was  in  accordance  with  the 
general  feeUng,  but  Mr.  Campbell  thinking  the  course 
proposed  too  precipitate,  was  on  the  point  of  rising 
to  oppose  the  motion,  when  Walter  Scott,  seeing  the 
strong  current  in  favor  of  it,  went  up  to  him,  and,  plac- 
ing a  hand  on  each  of  his  shoulders,  begged  him  not  to 
oppose  the  motion.  He  yielded;  the  motion  passed 
unanimously  ;  and  it  was  then  determined  that,  in  the 
place  of  the  Association,  there  should  be  an  annual 
meeting  for  praise  and  worship,  and  to  hear  reports 
from  laborers  in  the  field  of  the  progress  of  the  good 
work.  The  first  of  these  meetings  was  held  at  New 
Lisbon  in  the  following  year,  and  proved  to  be  both 
pleasant  and  profitable,  and  they  still  continue  wdth  a 
like  result. 

The  action  taken  at  Austintown  may  be  regarded 
as  the  formal  separation  from  the  Baptists ;  up  to  this 
time  the  Association  was  a  Baptist  body,  and  the 
members  of  it  Baptists,  although  many  of  their  pecu- 
liarities had  been  abandoned  in  consequence  of  a 
better  understanding  of  the  Scriptures.  Those  Bap- 
tists who  had  embraced  the  new  views,  together  with 
the  new  converts  made,  were  called  Campbellites, 
and  by  many  Scottites  ;  but  after  the  dissolution  of 
the  Association  which  was  really  brought  about  by 
the  efforts  of  Scott,  they  were  called  Disciples. 

The  wisdom  of  the  course  pursued  in  this  has  been 
questioned  by  some  since  then  ;  who  thought,  no 
doubt,  that  it  would  have  been  better  to  have  re- 
mained with  the  Baptists,  and  leavened  that  body 
with  their  views  ;  but  Scott  ever  regarded  it  as  the 
wisest  course,  and  assumed  whatever  responsibility 
there  might  be  in  the  matter,  claiming  that  it  was  at 
19 


2  I  8  J.  IFE  OF  EL  DE R   li  'A  L 1 ER  SCO  TT. 

his  instance  that  John  Henry  introduced  the  motion, 
and  that  his  own  personal  appeal  to  Alexander  Camp- 
bell, prevented  him  from  using  his  influence  in  op- 
position to  the  action,  which  really  made  those  who 
had  accepted  the  primitive  gospel  a  new  and  distinct 
people. 

This  was  one  of  the  marked  eras  in  Elder  Scott's 
career.  His  first  step  was  to  fix  upon  the  divinity  of 
Christ  as  the  central  and  controlling  thought  of  the 
New  Testament,  and  which  he  afterwards  demon- 
strated and  illustrated  with  a  strength  and  felicity  that 
has  never  been  surpassed.  Next,  he  arranged  the 
elements  of  the  gospel  in  the  simple  and  natural 
order  of  Faith,  Repentance,  Baptism,  Remission  of 
Sins,  and  Gift  of  the  Holy  Spirit;  then  made  Bap- 
tism the  practical  acceptance  of  the  gospel  on  the 
part  of  the  penitent  believer,  as  well  as  the  pledge  or 
assurance  of  pardon  on  the  part  of  its  author;  and, 
in  the  course  pursued  at  the  last  meeting  of  the  Asso- 
ciation at  Austintown,  freed  the  Disciples  from  the 
last  vestige  of  human  authority,  and  placed  them 
under  Christ,  with  his  Word  for  their  guide.  In  this 
we  see  one  of  the  most  remarkable  traits  of  Elder 
Scott's  character,  namely,  his  inflexibility  of  purpose. 
In  minor  matters  affecting  only  some  passing  interest 
he  often  seemed  wavering  and  weak  of  purpose,  but 
in  matters  involving  the  truth  of  God,  the  salvation 
of  the  sinner,  or  the  perfection  of  the  saint,  he  knew 
not  what  it  was  to  yield  his  convictions,  but  pressed 
on  to  his  purpose  with  a  determination  and  persever- 
ance that  has  seldom  been  equaled.  One  who  knew 
him  well — the  amiable  Challen — thus  notices  this 
peculiarity,  to  which  the  attention  of  the  reader  has 


SCO'JTS  J'7A\UX£SS  OF  PURrOSE.  2ig 

been  directed  :  *'  In  some  things  he  was  a  perfect 
child,  and  again  there  was  a  loftiness  and  grandeur 
about  him  that  struck  the  beholder  with  awe.  He 
had,  with  a  high-strung  nervous  temperament,  as 
much  moral  courage  as  any  man  I  have  ever  known  ; 
and,  therefore,  he  often  did  what  other  men  would 
not  dare  to  do,  and  was  rarely  defeated  or  success- 
fully baffled  in  his  purposes.  He  had  in  him  the 
spirit  of  the  ancient  prophets,  and  felt  as  if  he  had 
some  great  work  to  do  in  these  latter  times."  The 
assaults  of  Luther  upon  the  errors  and  corruptions 
of  Rome  were  not  more  startling  and  bold  than  those 
of  Scott  upon  the  errors  and  evils  of  modern  sec- 
tarianism ;  the  opposition  aroused  was  as  wide-spread 
in  the  latter  case  as  the  former,  and  a  few  centuries 
earlier  would  have  exposed  him  to  no  less  danger 
than  that  which  threatened  the  German  monk.  As 
it  was,  there  was  much  with  which  he  had  to 
contend,  the  most  unscrupulous  misrepresentation 
and  distortion  both  of  his  preaching  and  character. 
Communities  were  warned  against  him  by  ministers  of 
all  denominations,  as  if  .he  were  spreading  the  most 
destructive  heresies,  or  madly  endeavoring  to  destroy 
all  faith  in  God  and  his  Word,  while  really  he  was 
making  Christ  and  him  crucified  his  theme,  and  pre- 
senting to  dying  men  not  a  dry,  mouldy,  and  unsatis- 
fying theology,  but  the  bread  of  life  as  offered  to  men 
in  the  very-  terms  used  by  those  whom  the  Savior 
commissioned  to  bear  his  glad  gospel  to  the  world. 
This  opposition,  however,  awakened  no  anger  in  his 
breast ;  it  only  served  to  increase  his  zeal  and  influ- 
ence, and  fire  his  tongue  with  a  warmer  and  diviner 
eloquence.    He  remembered  how  the  Master  had  suf- 


220  LIFE  OF  ELDER  WALTER  SCOTT. 

fered  at  the  hands  of  those  whom  he  came  to  en- 
lighten and  bless,  and  he  felt  sorrow  and  shed  tears 
over  those  who  were  treating  the  servant  as  others 
had  treated  his  Lord. 

Never  was  man  more  thoroughly  absorbed  in  his 
work  then  he  at  this  period  of  his  history ;  stimulated 
alike  by  wonderful  success  as  well  as  by  bitter  and 
unrelenting  opposition,  he  at  times  seeroed  almost 
transported  to  the  heaven  to  which  he  was  pointing 
his  hearers.  Not  long  since,  the  writer  met  an  able 
and  useful  preacher,  and  asked  him  if  he  had  ever 
seen  and  heard  Walter  Scott  ;  with  a  shade  of  sadness 
in  his  manner,  he  said,  "Yes."  **  What  did  you  think 
of  him  t "  I  pursued.  "  Ah,"  said  he,  **  for  one  hour 
and  a  half,  I  was  nearer  heaven  than  ever  before  or 
since." 

R.  R.  Sloan,  who  was  present  at  the  time,  relates 
the  following:  "Walter  Scott,  about  1829  or  1830, 
paid  a  visit  to  Western  Virginia,  and  on  one  occa- 
sion preached  in  the  woods  between  Wellsburg  and 
Wheeling  ;  the  audience  was  large,  the  preacher  more 
than  usually  animated  by  his  .theme  ;  near  him  sat 
Alexander  Campbell,  usually  calm  and  self-contained, 
but  in  this  case  more  fully  under  the  influence  of  the 
preacher's  eloquence  than  he  had  ever  been  of  mortal 
man  before  ;  his  eye  flashed  and  his  face  glowed  as 
he  heard  him  unfold  the  glories  of  redemption,  the 
dignity  and  compassion  of  its  author,  and  the  honors 
that  awaited  those  who  would  submit  to  his  reign, 
until  so  filled  with  rapture  and  an  admiration,  not  of 
the  speaker,  but  of  him  who  was  his  theme,  that  he 
cried  out,  'Glory  to  God  in  the  highest,'  as  the  only 
way  to  relieve  the  intensity  of  his  joy."     Mr.  Camp- 


D'EA  TJI  IN  HIS  FA  MIL  V.  221 

bell  was  naturally  not  very  demonstrative,  and  this 
was  perhaps  the  only  case  in  which  his  feelings  so 
completely  carried  him  away. 

Early  in  the  next  year,  183 1,  Elder  Scott  returned 
to  Pittsburg,  and,  soon  after  his  arrival  there,  death, 
for  the  first  time,  entered  into  his  family  and  bore 
one  of  the  little  flock — now  five  in  number — away. 
This  was  his  fourth  child,  and  second  daughter,  Sarah 
Jane,  then  in  her  fourth  year ;  her  loss  was  a  great 
grief  to  her  father,  who  was  passionately  fond  of  his 
children  ;  but  he  was  consoled  by  the  thought  that 
she  was  in  the  keeping  of  him  who,  when  on  earth, 
loved  and  blessed  little  children,  and,  though  now 
seated  on  his  throne  of  glory,  loves  them  still. 

In  May  of  the  same  year  he  visited  Cincinnati  for 
the  first  time,  and  remained  there  three  months, 
preaching  to  the  congregation  which  up  to  that  time 
had  enjoyed  the  labors  of  Elder  James  Challen,  under 
whose  ministry  it  had  greatly  prospered.  Although 
at  this  time  in  the  prime  of  life.  Elder  Scott,  in  con- 
sequence of  his  severe  and  unremitting  labors  for  the 
previous  four  years,  almost  broke  down,  being  greatly 
afflicted  with  dyspepsia  and  its  attendant,  great  depres- 
sion of  spirits.  His  pulpit  efforts  during  his  stay  were 
very  unequal  and  generally  far  below  those  with  which 
he  had  stirred  the  multitudes  all  over  the  Western 
Reserve ;  the  fame  of  these  efforts  had  preceded  him, 
and  he  failed  in  a  great  measure  to  meet  the  ex- 
pectations which  had  been  awakened  ;  he  lacked,  too, 
the  inspiration  of  the  presence  and  songs  of  the 
hundreds  of  converts  that  were  often  at  his  meet- 
ings on  the  Reserve,  and  audiences  which  often 
swelled  to  thousands,  and  more  than  all,  the  success 


222  LIFE   OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCOTT. 

which  heretofore  had  attended  his  labors.  Some- 
times, when  but  few  were  present,  he  would  give  a 
discourse  of  startling  and  overwhelming  power.  This 
would  lead  those  who  were  present  to  use  such 
efforts  as  would  bring  the  elite  of  the  city  to  hear 
him,  but,  on  such  occasions,  greatly  to  the  mortifica- 
tion of  those  who  had  exerted  themselves  to  get  such 
an  audience  together,  he  would  disappoint  expecta- 
tion, or  wholly  fail  to  do  justice  to  himself  or  subject. 
Strange,  however,  as  it  may  seem,  these  failures  did 
not  seem  greatly  to  affect  him.  On  one  occasion  an 
Elder  of  the  church  said  to  him,  "  How  is  it,  Bro. 
Scott,  that  when  we  don't  expect  any  thing  from  you, 
you  go  beyond  yourself,  but  when  our  hopes  and  wishes 
are  the  highest,  you  fall  so  low.?"  "Oh,"  said  he,  "I 
don't  know  how  it  happens,  but  I  feel  that  if  I  can- 
not get  it  out  of  me  at  times,  it  is  in  me  neverthe- 
less." And  this  perfect  consciousness  of  power 
seemed  to  satisfy  him. 

Elder  Challen  was  then  engaged  in  preaching  in 
Louisiana,  and  up  to  that  time  had  never  met  with 
his  successor  in  the  pulpit,  and  he  was  deeply  affected 
on  receiving  from  him  an  urgent  and  affectionate  let- 
ter desiring  him  to  return.  "The  flock,"  said  he, 
"are  sighing  and  pining  for  their  former  shepherd  ; 
you  must  come  back,  you  alone  can  satisfy  them.  I 
can  not  and  will  not  consent  to  remain  with  them  as 
long  as  there  is  any  hope  or  prospect  of  your  re- 
turn." Such  courteous.  Christian,  and  unselfish 
treatment  won  Challen  back,  and  gained  for  Scott 
a  firm  and  life-long  friend. 

The  evidences  of  power  which  he  now  and  then 
gave  were  not  without  results,  and  in  theibllowing 


REPLIES  TO  ROBERT  DALE  OWEN.  22$ 

year  he  removed  to  Cincinnati,  and  remained  there 
and  in  its  immediate  neighborhood  for  about  four- 
teen years,  and  amply  confirmed  all  the  hopes  that 
his  most  ardent  friends  had  indulged  with  regard 
to  him. 

Being  aware  that  the  state  of  his  health  rendered 
his  public  ministrations  quite  variable,  he  determined 
to  speak  to  the  public  through  the  medium  of  the 
press,  knowing  that  in  this  way  he  could  render  per- 
manently useful  the  great  thoughts  by  which  his 
heart  was  stirred,  but  which,  when  before  an  audience 
he  could  not  always  utter.  Accordingly,  he  began 
the  publication  of  his  renowned  monthl}^,  the  **  Evan- 
gelist," in  which  was  discussed  and  settled  many  of  the 
religious  questions  of  the  day  ;  many  of  the  essays 
which  appeared  in  its  pages  were  republished,  not  only 
in  this  country,  but  also  in  the  old  world  ;  and  few 
writers  have  had  the  satisfaction  of  seeing  their  views 
so  widely  spread  and  so  generally  adopted  as  did  he. 

Soon  after  the  issue  of  his  first  number  of  the 
"  Evangelist,"  the  celebrated  socialist,  philosopher,  and 
skeptic,  Robert  Dale  Owen,  visited  Cincinnati,  and 
delivered  two  lectures,  both  of  which  Mr.  Scott  at- 
tended, and  though  he  had  but  a  few  hours  in  which 
to  prepare  a  reply  to  the  carefully  prepared  addresses 
of  Mr.  Owen  ;  he  succeeded  not  only  in  rebuking  his 
scoffs  and  sneers,  but  in  a  most  masterly  manner 
turned  the  tables  upon  him  by  directing  his  own 
arguments  against  himself  Mr.  Campbell,  but  a 
short  time  before,  had  met  Mr.  Owen,  Sen.,  in  pub- 
lic debate,  with  signal  success,  and  Mr.  Scott  now 
met  the  son,  not,  it  is  true,  in  a  long-contested  bat- 
tle  like   that   to  which   we   have   alluded,  but  it  was. 


224  LIFE  OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCOTT. 

nevertheless,  a  short  and  briUiant  passage  at  arms,  in 
which  the  Knight  of  Unbehef  and  Unreason  went 
down  at  the  first  onset  under  the  well-directed  lance 
of  the  Red  Cross  Knight. 

We  give  Mr.  Scott's  account  of  this  meeting,  which 
is  as  remarkable  for  the  fair  statement  of  his  an- 
tagonist's views,  as  for  the  vigor  of  his  own  exposure 
of  their  fallacy.  "On  the  evenings  of  the  5th  and 
6th  of  March,  Robert  Dale  Owen  read  tw^o  discourses 
in  the  Court-house  of  this  place  to  crowded  audiences. 
The  first  on  'Free  Inquiry,'  the  last  on  'Religion.' 
We  attended  in  the  hope  of  hearing  the  great  objects 
of  human  research,  nature,  society,  and  religion,  set 
forth,  separated,  and  defined  after  a  manner  suited  to 
the  title  of  his  discourses  ;  in  this,  however,  we  were 
completely  disappointed.  The  second  lecture  was, 
in  our  estimation,  at  least,  devoid  of  dignity,  and 
consisted  chiefly  in  vulgar  raillery  concerning  those 
whom  he  styled  the  'Reverend  Clergy.'  No  line 
of  demarkation  at  all  was  drawn  between  simple 
Christianity,  as  it  came  from  the  hands  of  its  author, 
and  the  enormous  corruptions  to  which,  in  the  lapse 
of  time,  it  has  been  subjected.  Paul  and  the  Pope 
were  equally  the  objects  of  his  rebuke,  inuendo,  and 
scorn.  The  excellent  Watson,  of  Landaff,  says, 
'  That  a  philosopher  or  inquirer  after  truth  forfeits 
all  reputation  with  me  when  he  introduces  railing  for 
reason,  and  vulgar  and  illiberal  sarcasm  in  the  room 
of  argument.'  As  it  was  the  season  of  'Free  In- 
quiry,' we  could  not  help  standing  up,  and  reading  a 
few  things  relative  to  the  logic  of  some  points  of  his 
first  discourse  ;  we  intended  to  give  a  review  of  the 
whole  of  it,  but  lacked  both  time  and  opportunity  of 


REPLIES  TO  ROBERT  DALE  OWEN.  22$ 

doing  SO,  the  manuscript  being  left  but  a  few  hours 
in  our  hands.  We  read  as  follows  :  Mr.  Owen,  I  was 
present  last  evening  when  you  spoke  on  'Free  En- 
quiry.' I  had  then  some  observations  in  preparation, 
and  should,  perhaps,  have  spoken  them,  but  such  was 
the  bustle  excited  by  the  draft  you  made  on  the  na- 
tional and  religious  feelings  of  certain  individuals 
present  that  I  deemed  it  most  proper  to  be  silent ; 
I  thought  I  perceived,  too,  an  unwillingness  among 
the  'Free  Inquirers'  to  admit  of  free  inquiry  into  the 
merits  of  what  had  been  spoken.  After  you  had  fin- 
ished, I  took  the  liberty  to  introduce  myself,  and  re- 
quested the  favor  of  your  manuscript ;  you  very 
politely  acceded  to  my  wishes  and  gave  me  the  dis- 
course. I  have  written  strictures  on  certain  portions 
of  it,  which  with  your  liberty  and  that  of  the  audi- 
ence, I  shall  now  read.  'All  inquiry,  whether  fet- 
tered or  free,  must  terminate  ultimately  on  N'ature, 
Society,  and  Religion ;  but  who  are  the  great  masters 
here  "^  who  have  inquired  most  freely  into  Nature, 
into  Society,  into  Religion  .?  who  are  the  great  fa- 
thers of  the  philosophy  of  Matter — the  philosophy 
of  Mind — the  philosophy  of  Religion  }  were  they 
men  who  despised  Religion,  who  sneered  at  the  be- 
liever.-* Mr.  Owen  would  have  us  believe  there  is 
virtue  in  great  names.  I  ask  again,  then,  who  are 
those  that  have  inquired  most  freely  into  Nature, 
Society,  and  Religion.'*  Natural  science  claims  as 
her  peculiar  ornaments,  Sir  Isaac  Newton,  Ferguson, 
Bacon,  Boyle ;  Moral  Science  is  adorned  by  the  tal- 
ents of  Locke,  Berkley,  Reid,  Stewart,  and  Brown  ; 
Religious  Science  claimes  the  homage  of  all  these, 


226  LIFE  OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCOTT. 

and   more,    too:    Milton,    Young,    Cowper,   Spencer, 
Johnson,  Rush,  Berkley,  Mead,  and  Warburton.' 

"The  following,  in  the  conclusion  of  Mr.  Owen's 
speech,  was  peculiarly  emphasized:  'And  be  one 
thing  remembered,  when  men  talk  of  the  heartless- 
ness  and  demoralizing  tendency  of  skepticism  ;  when 
they  cry  out  about  the  licentious  influence  of  unbe- 
lief; when,  in  sweeping  phrase,  they  denounce  all 
heretics  as  profligates,  mischief-makers,  disorganizers, 
and  wicked  men  ;  then,  then,  in  the  hour  of  assault 
and  abuse,  be  it  boldly  said,  be  it  faithfully  remem- 
bered, that  Jeflerson,  that  Franklin,  that  Adams,  that 
Monroe,  that  Washington,  were  all  skeptics,  heretics, 
infidels,  whichever  of  the  meaningless  terms  Ortho- 
doxy may  be  pleased  to  select ;  and  that  when  honest 
dissenters  from  popular  creeds  are  thus  denounced  as 
the  children  of  the  Devil,  Americans,  the  Revolu- 
tionary Fathers  !  her  best,  her  bravest,  her  noblest, 
are  expressly  included  in  the  denunciation ! '  It  is  a 
poor  rule  that  does  not  work  both  ways.  In  humble 
imitation  of  the  rhetoric  of  Mr.  Owen,  then,  allow  me, 
of  your  clemency,  my  fellow-countrymen,  to  say.  Be 
one  thing  remembered,  when  men,  as  he  does,  talk 
of  the  heartlessness  and  demoralizing  tendency  of 
religion  ;  when  they  cry  out  about  the  licentious  in- 
fluence of  belief ;  when,  in  sweeping  phrase,  they 
denounce  all  such  as  profligates,  mischief-makers, 
enemies  to  free  inquiry,  and  wicked  men !  then,  then, 
in  the  hour  of  assault  and  abuse,  be  it  boldly  said,  be  it 
faithfully  remembered,  that  Newton,  that  Locke,  that 
Boyle,  that  Bacon,  were  believers.  Christians,  orthodox 
priests,  or  whatever  of  the  meaningless  terms  skep- 
ticism may  be  pleased  to  select ;  and  that  when  honest 


A  A'  I XI- f DEL  ANSWERED.  22/ 

dissenters  from  the  skeptic's  creed  are  thus  denounced 
as  the  children  of  the  devil ;  that  is,  the  skeptic's  devil, 
Americans,  the  fathers  of  mankind,  the  fathers  of 
all  true  light  in  Nature,  Society,  and  Religion,  are 
expressly  included  in  the  denunciation. 

"  Mr.  Owen  observes,  '  That  simple  argument  is  the 
means,  and  the  only  means,  which  one  man  ever  ought 
or  ever  need  to  use,  to  correct  the  sentiments  of  an- 
other.    Truth  disclaims  every  support.' 

"Now,  Mr.  Owen's  discourse  is  entitled  'FREE 
INQUIRY;'  I  would  ask,  then,  what  simple  argu- 
ment calculated  to  correct  the  sentiment  of  a  believer 
who  knows  any  thing  of  proof  and  proposition  ;  what 
argument  related  even  to  his  own  proposition  is  there 
in  his  dastardly  appeals  from  all  manhood  to  manless- 
ness  ;  from  the  great  and  honorable  virtues  of  rever- 
ence and  veneration  for  the  Maker  of  the  heavens 
and  earth,  to  a  blind,  bending,  beggarly  oblation  of 
all  reason  and  common  sense,  which  he  would  in- 
sinuate is  the  indissoluble  concomitant  of  religious 
belief.'*  To  be  led  by  some  one  is  to  man  perfectly 
natural,  and  skeptics  know  it,  too  ;  it  is  a  part  of  the 
constitution  of  things  under  which  man  makes  his 
entrance  upon  the  stage  of  time.  We  first  have 
fathers  and  mothers,  sisters  and  brothers,  relatives, 
friends,  acquaintances,  fellow-citizens,  and  fellow- 
men  ;  then  come  our  school  teachers,  also,  for  skep- 
ticism has  led  some  of  them  as  far  away  from  his 
works,  as  it  has  led  others  from  his  word ;  then  come 
the  remoter  and  higher  relations  of  general  govern- 
ment for  the  full-grown  man  ;  so  that  there  is  nothing 
in  our  natural  and  social  constitution  of  things  to 
render  the  idea  of  a  guide  or  instructor  abhorrent  to 


228  L IFE  OF  EL  DER   IV A L  TER  SCO  TT. 

US.  It  never  startled  me  to  hear  of  instructors  in  Nattire, 
Society,  and  Religion.  Nature  led  me  strongly  to  desire 
such  aids,  and  I  sought  them  greedily  ;  but,  mark  me, 
fellow-citizens,  the  man  who  solicits  my  attention  now  ; 
the  personage  to  whom  I  shall  now  give  my  hand,  or 
head,  or  heart,  for  tutorage,  must  be  of  grave  consid- 
eration ;  not  a  boy,  not  a  raw  youth — a  true  man, 
who,  by  his  labors  in  nature,  society,  and  religion, 
has  demonstrated  to  my  fellow-men,  and  to  me,  that 
he  understands  himself  what  he  affects  to  teach  others  ; 
not  one  neither,  who  shall  anticipate  with  a  sneer  my 
'free  inquiries'  into  any  of  these  high  matters;  not 
one  who  shall  take  for  granted  what  he  ought  first  to 
prove,  and  follow  me,  like  the  man  with  the  birch  in 
his  hand,  brandishing  over  my  unenlightened  reason 
the  terrors  of  a  contemptible /^//V/^/;7>/(:z//(?.  Listen 
to  what  follows  : 

'^ '  And  it  [inquiry]  must  be  fearless.  The  disciple  of  free 
inquiry  works  not  out  his  salvation  in  fear  and  trembling, 
but  in  boldness  and  self  possession.  Fear  may  be  the  friend 
of  orthodoxy;  it  is  the  foe  of  truth.  Before  the  throne  of 
heaven  we  may  kneel,  our  eyes  closed  and  our  reason  pros- 
trated ;  before  the  throne  of  truth  we  must  stand  erect,  our 
eyes  open  and  our  judgments  awake.  As  believers,  we 
may  tremble  and  submit ;  as  inquirers,  we  must  arise  and 
examine  !  ' 

"  What  a  worse  than  trembling,  what  a  painful  and 
oppressive  apprehension  is  communicated  here  of  that 
religion  whose  very  first  essay  on  the  heart  is  to  fill 
it  with  that  love  of  God  and  man  which  casteth  out 
fear !  truly  the  interpretation  is  one  of  a  thousand  ! 
And  so  Locke,  and  Bacon,  and  Newton,  did  but  bow 


AN  INFIDEL   ANSWERED.  229 

to  God  in  the  absence  of  light,  and  reason,  and  bold- 
ness, and  self-possession,  and  all  other  virtues  which 
attach  to  man  !  The  apostle  censuring  some  of  the 
believers  for  entertaining  too  little  respect  for  their 
fellows,  and  for  a  confident  and,  perhaps,  pharisaical 
feeling  (for  believers,  like  unbelievers,  can  be  phari- 
saical), tells  such  to  work  out  their  salvation  with 
reverence  and  trembling  ;  gentlemen,  ought  we  not  to 
reverence  the  rights  and  characters  of  one  another  ; 
ought  we  un tremblingly  to  arrogate  superiority  over 
our  fellow-men  and  despise  them  ?  I  think  not  ; 
surely  you  think  not  ;  and  the  Bible  says  not  !  and 
the  weak  and  unworthy  attitude  which  is  here  given 
to  the  apostle's  words  only  demonstrate  how  nearly  a 
prejudiced  heart  is  associated  wdth  an  unbelieving 
head. 

**  Mr.  Owen  says  :  *  It  boots  not  curiously  to  inquire 
when  and  how  man  first  sprung  into  being,  or  why 
he  is  destined  thus  faithfully,  and  gradually,  to 
emerge  from  the  night  of  error  and  ignorance ; 
enough  that  he  now  exists.'  Enotigh,  indeed.  What 
means  this  term  enough  }  Enough  of  inquiry  !  This 
is  strange,  'tis  passing  strange  to  me !  Does  Mr. 
Owen  recollect  Mount  Athos  ;  does  he  recollect  the 
anecdote  of  Xerxes  and  the  Hellespont ;  the  story  of 
Canute,  his  courtiers,  and  the  ocean }  if  he  does,  then 
let  him  also  remember,  that  *  the  mind  is  a  Mount 
Athos,  which  no  despot  can  hew  down  and  cast  into 
the  sea,  be  it  ever  so  audacious  ;  it  is  a  Hellespont, 
whose  waves  may  be  scourged,  but  can  not  be 
shackled  or  confined  by  chains  ;  it  is  an  ocean,  whose 
tides  rise  irresistibly,  whether  the  sovereign  set  his 
chair  on  the  beach  or  not  ! '    Christianity  knows  noth- 


230  LIFE  OF  ELDER    IVAL7ER  SCOTT. 

ing  about  'enough'  of  inquiry.  In  tliis  life  man  pre- 
sents himself  as  a  centre-point  to  all  the  relations  of 
the  past  and  future,  and  his  very  life  and  happiness  lies 
in  the  contemplation  of  things  that  are  behind  and 
things  that  are  before  ;  the  present  is  with  him  a  mere 
stepping-stone  from  the  first  to  the  last,  and  from  the 
last  to  the  first,  of  these  regions  of  thought.  He 
likes  not  always  to  look  before,  he  likes  not 
always  to  look  behind  ;  but  to  both  of  them  he  will 
look,  and  to  dare  to  cut  him  off  from  either  is  to  do 
violence  to  human  nature ;  it  is  to  make  a  schism  in 
the  mind,  and,  in  folly,  can  be  equaled  only  by  him 
who,  by  dividing  and  subdividing  a  board,  would  hope, 
finally,  to  obtain  a  rectangular  figure,  with  one  side, 
with  one  surface,  What !  prevent  man  from  inquir- 
ing into  the  past  with  a  reference  to  his  origin  ?  as 
well  might  you  forbid  him  to  look  ahead  to  his  final 
destiny.  *It  boots  not  curiously  to  inquire  when  and 
how  man  first  sprang  into  being,  etc.  ; '  be  it  so  ;  but 
as  well  may  Mr.  Owen  tell  the  lovers  of  science,  '  It 
boots  not  curiously  to  inquire  into  the  sources  of  the 
Nile  ;  and  with  as  fair  prospects  may  he  hope  to  see 
the  time  when  men  will  sit  down  and  take  no  care  for 
the  future,  as  to  hope  the  time  is  at  hand  when  men 
will  forget  to  inquire,  and  to  believe,  and  to  rejoice,  in 
the  past  as  respects  their  own  origin.'" 

He  then  carried  the  war  into  the  enemy's  country, 
by  showing  what  skepticism  had  done  for  the  world 
in  ancient  times  by  filling  it  with  false  gods,  and 
pointed  to  its  results  in  infidel  France,  when  the 
guillotine  did  its  fearful  work,  until  the  ^gutters  of 
Paris  ran  red  with  the  blood  of  its  best  citizens.  He 
vindicated  Christianity  from  the  charge  of  persecution, 


A  A'  IMPORTANT  ADMISSION.  23  I 

showing  that  the  religion  of  Jesus  taught  its  followers 
to  suffer,  and  not  inflict  it — to  be  martyrs,  and  not  to 
make  them — and  that  it  was  free  from  the  blood  of  all 
men. 

After  the  discussion,  Mr.  Scott  addressed  a  letter 
to  Mr.  Owen,  asking  the  question,  "Are  not  the  max- 
ims of  our  blessed  Redeemer  wholly  at  variance  with 
the  absurdities  and  abuses  which  you  rebuked  in  your 
lectures  } "  To  which  he  made  the  manly  and  honest 
reply:  "To  your  question  regarding  Jesus'  approval 
of  priestly  encroachment,  I  answer,  without  hesita- 
tion, that  I  conceive  him  to  be  as  much  opposed  to  it 
as  any  Reformer  of  the  present  day  ; "  in  substance, 
admitting  that  it  was  not  Christianity,  but  its  abuses 
that  he  was  attacking  ;  and  to  these  abuses  Mr.  Scott 
was  not  less  hostile  than  himself. 


2^2  IJFE   OF  ELDER  WALTER  SCOTT. 


CHAPTER    XV. 

Removes  to    Carthage — The  httle  Sunday-school   girl — The  village  rep- 
robate— Great  success — A  remarkable  meeting. 

NOT  long  after  his  removal  to  Cincinnati,  Mr. 
Scott  made  another  change  to  Carthage,  about 
eight  miles  north  of  the  city,  where  he  remained  for 
about  thirteen  years.  He  visited  this  village  several 
times  before  his  removal,  and  the  success  which  at- 
tended his  labors,  doubtless,  had  much  to  do  with 
making  it  his  home.  Although  pleasantly  situated, 
there  was  little  about  Carthage  to  make  it  agreeable 
as  a  residence  ;  all  the  vices  of  the  country  village  of 
forty  or  fifty  years  ago  flourished  there ;  drunkenness, 
profanity,  idleness,  and  neglect  of  the  public  and  private 
duties  of  religion  were  common,  and  the  store  and 
the  groggery  were  the  chief  places  of  resort.  Fishing 
and  hunting  were  common  on  Sunday,  as  well  as 
coarse  jesting  and  unseemly  merriment  among  those 
within  the  tavern  or  under  the  trees  that  shaded  its 
door.  The  single  redeeming  feature  was  a  Sunday- 
school,  with  which  was  connected  an  incident  of  in- 
terest that  took  place  on  Scott's  first  visit. 

In  one  of  the  classes  was  a  bright  girl  of  about 
thirteen  years  of  age,  who,  with  others,  had  to  find 
an  answer  to  the  question  "What  shall  I  do  to  be 
saved  .'^"  In  searching  the  Bible  she  fell  upon  the 
case  of  the  Jews  on  Pentecost,  who,  when  pricked  to 
the  heart  by  the  preaching  of  the  gospel  by  Peter,  cried 


A  SCENE  EV  SCXDAY-SCI/OOL.  233 

out,  "  Men  and  brethren  what  shall  we  do?"  The  an- 
swer given  by  the  apostle  to  this  inquiry  seemed  to 
this  child  the  proper  reply  to  the  question  to  be  an- 
swered at  the  Sunday-school.  The  day  came,  the 
class  was  questioned,  but  none  save  she  had  any  an- 
swer ready,  and  she,  with  a  feeling  of  childish  triumph, 
repeated  the  answer  of  the  apostle  :  "Repent,  and  be 
baptized,  every  one  of  you,  in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ, 
for  the  remission  of  sins,  and  ye  shall  receive  the  gift 
of  the  Holy  Ghost."  Instead  of  a  smile  and  words 
of  approval  from  her  teacher,  she  saw,  from  her  cold 
manner  and  averted  look,  that  in  some  way  she  had 
failed  to  give  a  satisfactory  answer,  and  in  her  disap- 
pointment she  covered  her  face  wdth  her  hands  and 
wept.  Soon  the  lesson  was  over,  and  the  superin- 
tendent began  to  ask  questions,  and,  smiling  through 
her  tears,  she  thought  she  yet  might  be  able  to  give 
the  answer,  and  find  the  approval  from  him  which 
she  had,  for  some  reason,  failed  to  gain  from  her  own 
teacher  ;  and,  sure  enough,  from  his  lips  came  the 
question,  "What  must  a  man  do  to  be  saved.'*"  All 
were  silent,  and  the  time  for  her  triumph  had  come  ; 
she  rose  and  read  the  words  of  Scripture  again,  and 
again  was  doomed  to  disappointment ;  the  superin- 
tendent gaye  a  cold,  unsympathizing  look  and  turned 
away;  and  again  the  poor  child  wept,  and  wondered 
why  her  answer  was  not  approved. 

Just  after  this  occurrence.  Elder  Scott  preached  in 
the  village  school-house,  and  the  little  Sunday-school 
scholar  was  among  his  hearers  ;  to  her  surprise  and 
delight  he  took  for  his  text  the  very  passage  she  had 
read  in  Sunday-school,  and  which  had  been  so  coldly 
received,  and  proposed  to  show  from  it  how  the  sin- 
20 


234  ^^^''^   OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCOTT. 

ner  must  be  saved.  As  he  proceeded,  she  found  that 
the  strange  preacher  regarded  the  passage  as  she  did, 
and  was  highly  elated,  and  yet  she  could  not  but  won- 
der why  the  passage  should  have  produced  such  cold 
and  averted  looks,  as  it  had  done  at  the  Sunday-school, 
when  there  it  was  in  the  Bible,  and  the  preacher  said 
that  it  meant  what  it  said.  At  the  close  of  the  discourse 
he  announced  that  he  would  return  and  preach  again 
in  four  weeks  ;  he  did  so,  but  he  preached  this  time, 
not  in  the  school-house,  but  in  a  barn  ;  the  audience 
in  the  barn  was  greater  than  it  had  been  in  the  school- 
house,  and  among  his  hearers,  more  interested  than 
ever,  was  the  little  Sunday-school  girl/  The  truth, 
as  it  came  from  his  lips,  was  so  sweet  and  simple, 
and,  withal,  so  much  like  her  Bible,  that  when  he 
urged  his  hearers  to  follow  its  teachings  implicitly, 
she  timidly  arose,  and,  approaching  the  preacher, 
expressed  her  wish  to  be  baptized.  He  asked  her 
several  questions  which  were  answered  with  an  in- 
telligence beyond  her  years,  and,  feeling  that  she 
understood  her  duty,  promised  to  baptize  her  at 
the  close  of  the  meeting.  The  meek  spirit  of 
obedience  manifested  by  the  child  aroused  him  to 
press  the  claims  of  the  gospel  upon  those  of  riper 
years,  and  six  men  arose  and  followed  the  example 
set  by  the  sweet  child,  and  with  her  were  baptized  on 
confession  of  their  faith  in  the  Lord  Jesus. 

These  proved  to  be  the  first  fruits  of  a  great  har- 
vest that  was  soon  gathered  ;  many  of  the  most  influen- 
tial people  in  the  vicinity  heard  and  obeyed  the  glad  gos- 
pel ;  the  reformation  spread  through  the  whole  com- 
munity, and   Carthage   soon  became    as  famous   for 


.-/  PEX  J'OA' TRA IT.  235 

temperance,  zeal,  and  piety,  as  it  had  formerly  been 
for  their  opposites. 

Among  the  converts  was  one  who  had  long  held 
in  the  village  an  unenviable  notoriety — a  poor  fellow, 
who  was  regarded  as  the  most  hopeless  of  an  exceed- 
ingly irreligious  and  immoral  population.  He  was  a 
clever,  dissipated  good-for-nothing ;  the  chief  actor 
in  every  scene  of  fun,  frolic,  or  mischief;  so  much 
so,  that  he  has  been  thought  worthy  of  a  sketch  at 
the  hands  of  a  fine  word-painter,  who  pictures  him 
to  his  readers  as  follows,  under  the  name  of  Parker, 
and  in  connection  with  it  gives  a  sketch  of  Elder 
Scott,  then  in  his  prime,  under  the  name  of  Philip. 

"If  there  was  a  cock-fight  or  a  man-fight  on  the  tapis ^ 
Parker  was  sure  to  be  there,  and  took  always  an  active 
part;  and  in  the  absence  of  one  of  the  pugilists  of  the 
genus  homo,  he  was  ready  to  try  his  hand.  And  at  a  foot- 
race, or  a  donkey-race,  or  a  quarter- nag,  he  was  regarded 
as  one  of  the  most  important  personages  in  the  village. 
And  in  the  frequent  routs  and  balls,  which,  in  the  winter 
season,  were  deemed  indispensable  to  the  rising  genera- 
tion, Parker  was  the  chief  actor.  Or  if  a  hen-roost  was 
to  be  disturbed,  or  an  old  gobbler  was  to  be  uncrowned, 
or  any  other  petty  mischief  to  be  done,  he  might  be  fully 
depended  on.  No  mad-cap  leader,  even  of  a  cotefie  of 
college  lads,  by  acclamation,  was  ever  admitted  to  this 
honor  with  readier  will  than  Parker,  and  he  was  particu- 
larly proud  of  his  'bad  eminence.'  He  could  take  a  hand 
at  any  thing ;  he  was  good  at  a  joke,  could  tell  as 
long  yarns  as  any  of  his  neighbors,  could  set  the  'table 
in  a  roar,'  and  could  drink  as  much  stone-fence  as  any 
Qther  lover  of  this  kind  of  geology.  He  was  a  good- 
natured,  waggish,  witty,  ignorant,  knowing,  rampant 
fellow,  the  terror  of  all  the  good  women  and  little  chil- 


236  LIFE  OF  ELDER   W.II/FER  SCOTF. 

dren  of  the  neighborhood,  and  tlie  scape-goat  of  all  the 
sins  of  the  villagers.  But  Parker  was  not  without  his  good 
points  and  generous  impulses.  If  any  of  his  companions 
were  in  distress  he  was  ready  to  help  him  ;  or  sick,  to  nurse 
him  ;  or  dead,  to  lay  him  out,  and  make  arrangements  for 
the  funeral;  and  if  he  was  not  the  chief  mourner,  he,  at 
least,  w-as  the  grave-digger. 

''It  is  worthy  of  remark  that,  even  among  the  worst 
specimens  of  humanity  there  are  some  good  points;  none 
are  sunk  so  low  but  that  they  might  sink  lower — none^so 
depraved  but  that  they  might  receive  a  still  darker  hue. 
The  seeds  of  paradise  still  slumber  in  the  clods,  and  the 
sunshine  and  the  moisture  will  sometimes  start  them  into  a 
new  life.  It  was  thus  with  Parker ;  bad  as  he  was  he  might 
have  been  worse. 

"It  was  announced  in  the  village  in  which  Parker  lived, 
that  a  strange  preacher  was  soon  to  be  there,  and  would  ' 
hold  a  series  of  meetings,  such  as  are  common  in  the  West, 
and  which  have  resulted  often  in  so  much  good  in  dissipat- 
ing the  worldliness  which  surrounds  the  people,  and  diffus- 
ing a  purer,  healthier  atmosphere  favorable  to  their  spirit- 
ual improvement  and  growth.  The  meeting  was  held  in 
an  old  brick  school-house,  dirty  and  dark ;  and  when  the 
interest  increased,  and  the  congregation  became  too  large 
to  be  accommodated,  it  was  moved  to  a  barn  fragrant  with 
the  odor  of  the  new-mown  hay. 

"The  preacher  was  a  Scotchman,  in  the  prime  of  life, 
about  five  feet  seven  inches  liigh,  with  a  thin  face,  high 
cheek  bones,  a  large,  projecting  nose,  and  finely  chiseled 
upper  lip,  and  an  eye  of  the  eagle—  sleepy  when  at  rest, 
but  filled  with  the  beams  of  the  sun  when  awakened.  His 
hair  was  black  as  the  wing  of  the  raven,  and  as  glossy, 
which  hung  rather  carelessly  upon  his  ample  brow,  revealing 
to  the  eye  a  forehead  of  singular  beauty,  on  which  wit  and 
benevolence,  reason  and  invention,  sat  enthroned.  In  all 
respects  Philip,  for  that  is  the  name  we  choose  to  call  him, 


nilLir—TIlE  PREACHER.  237 

was  a  great  man.     The  writer  has  often  heard  him,  and  he 
can  say  that,  at  times,  for  the  originality  of  his  conceptions, 
the  richness  of  his  language,   the  variety  of  his  thoughts, 
the  sublimity  of  his  imagery,  and   the  lofty  reach  of  his 
oratory,    he    has    seldom    or    ever  known    him    surpassed. 
He  was  not  always  equal  to  himself,  but  if  he  failed  at  any 
time — and  who  does  not — he  was  consoled  with  the  thought 
that  the  fire  still  burned  deep  in  the  ^tna  of  his  mind, 
even  though  the  smoke  was  not  seen,  or  the  flames  did  not 
shoot  up.  portentously  to  the  darkened  heavens,  or  the  lava 
pour  from   his   lips.      We  hope  that  the    reader  will    not 
think   this  a  mere  fancy  sketch.     It   is  drawn  from  life, 
though   not    to   the  life ;   for  we   regret  that  the  preachei 
had  not  some  one  better  able  to  draw  out  more  fully  the 
lineaments  of  his  character.     He  was  a  speaker  combining 
much    of  the  genius   of  Edward    Irving,    with   the   Titan 
tread  of  Robert  Hall,  and  the  graphic  powers  of  Sir  Wal- 
ter Scott ;  and  sometimes,  at  the  close  of  an  address,  he 
would  give  a  burst  of  oratory,  scattering  gems  as  if  the  air 
was  filled  with  the  fragments  of  a  globe  of  crystals,  or  as 
if  the  sun  had  looked  out  from  a  cloud,  still  shedding   its 
rain-drops  upon  the  moistened  earth ;  he  would  then  lift 
his  audience  into  a  sweet  surprise,  captivating  every  sense 
by  the   mellowness  of  his  voice,   the  gentle   grace  of  his 
motions,  the  scintillations  of  his  wit,  and  the  grandeur  of 
his  imagery. 

''But  we  will  not  forget  Parker,  for  the  time  had  come 
when  this  uproarious  and  fun-loving  hero  of  my  story  was 
about  to  feel  the  keen  arrows  of  conviction,  and  the  sub- 
duing influence  of  the  gospel  of  Christ,  at  the  meeting  of 
which  we  have  spoken.  The  preacher  was  almost  wholly 
unknown  to  the  community ;  a  few  had  seen  him,  perhaps 
heard  him.  He  had  gathered  laurels,  however,  on  other 
fields,  and  he  was  now  about  to  try  his  powers  upon  the 
little  village  of  Carthage,  but  he  knew  that  what  had  con- 
quered such  large  masses  to  the  truth  elsewhere  would  not 


23«  LIFE  OF  ELDER    WALTER  SCOTT. 

foil,  by  the  help  of  the  Lord,  to  do  something  here,  and 
he  commenced  his  labors. 

*'  We  know  not  what  impressions  his  first  efforts  had  upon 
the  population,  or  what  were  the  promises  of  success,  but 
the  results  were  glorious.  The  village  was  converted,  and 
the  gospel  sounded  abroad  in  the  neighborhood  ;  and  the 
fruit  of  his  labors  may  be  seen  to  this  day.  The  whole 
population  was  leavened  with  the  doctrine  of  eternal  life, 
and  the  beautiful  chapel,  which  still  stands  in  the  village,  and 
the  willing  worshipers  which  crowd  its  gates,  attest  the 
wonders  which  he  wrought,  and  the  strength  of  the  prin- 
ciples he  advocated.  Parker  was  enrolled  among  the 
saved.  What  induced  him  to  attend  the  meeting  we  know 
not ;  perhaps  mere  curiosity,  the  novelty  of  the  occasion, 
the  reputed  eloquence  of  the  preacher,  the  love  of  excite- 
ment, or  the  number  of  converts  which  were  being  made. 
He  took  his  seat  far  back  in  the  crowded  room  ;  he  listened 
as  he  had  never  done  before ;  the  recollections  of  his  past 
misspent  life  came  up  before  him;  his  conscience  was 
quickened  and  enlightened  ;  the  truth  penetrated  like  a 
sword  into  the  depths  of  his  heart ;  he  saw  his  lost,  h^felt 
his  undone  condition,  and  welcomed  the  means  of  his 
recovery. 

*'The  very  first  discourse  stripped  him  of  his  armor,  and 
left  him  shivering  as  a  guilty  culprit.  He  was  ready  to 
yield  at  once,  but  prudence,  or,  perhaps,  shame  forbade 
that  he  should  publicly  acknowledge  it.  But  there  was 
seen  at  home  that  night,  at  the  early  approach  to  his  door, 
and  the  sober  cast  of  his  countenance,  that  some  strange 
influences  were  at  work  upon  him  ;  and  his  wife,  though  she 
discovered  the  change,  and  probably  knew  the  cause,  and 
inwardly  delighted  in  it,  did  not  seem  to  notice  it.  The 
next  morning  Parker  was  up  betimes,  and  busied  himself 
about  the  house,  and  the  garden,  and  wood -pile.  He  was 
particularly  kind  and  gracious  in  his  whole  demeanor;  and 
it  was  seen,  with  heartfelt  satisfaction,  that  he  did  not  visit 


PA/^A'KK'S    COXrERSIOX.  239 

that  morning  the  tap-room  to  get  his  accustomed  dram — a 
thing  unknown  in  the  memory  of  the  family.  He  did  not 
associate  during  the  day  with  his  old  companions,  nor 
visit  his  favorite  haunts,  but  was  thoughtful,  and  serious, 
and  taciturn.  Unfortunately  for  him,  he  could  not  read, 
or  he  might  have  spent  the  day  less  tediously.  His 
thoughts  were  busy  until  night  with  the  new  things  he  had 
heard ;  and  the  hidden  principles  of  the  gospel  were 
struggling  with  the  perverted  affections  of  his  soul,  and 
achieving  a  victory  over  his  wicked  habits. 

"Night  came;  again  might  you  have  seen  the  villagers, 
well-clad,  pouring  out  from  their  houses — the  rich  and  the 
poor — to  the  place  of  meeting.  And  from  the  country 
carriages  and  wagons,  full  to  repletion,  were  gather- 
ing together,  as  at  some  great  festival.  Parker  was  in  the 
crowd,  and  took  his  seat  again  at  the  far  end  of  the  house, 
and  heard  the  discourse  with  marked  attention,  and,  at  the 
close  of  the  sermon,  he  made  his  way  through  the  dense 
mass,  and  stood  before  the  preacher,  who  looked  upon  him 
with  surprise  and  astonishment.  No  one  was  prepared  for 
such  an  event,  and  as  he  passed  through  the  congregation 
they  gave  way  with  singular  promptitude  to  the  '  publican 
and  sinner.'  If  T  recollect  right,  there  were  only  two  of 
the  brethren  willing  to  receive  him,  but  the  prejudices  of 
the  congregation  were  allayed  by  the  cordiality  with  which 
he  was  received  by  them,  and  he  was  soon  admitted  among 
the  converts,  and  proved  to  be  an  active,  zealous,  and 
faithful  member. 

"Many  are  the  anecdotes  told  of  him  after  his  conversion, 
some  of  which  are  quite  characteristic.  He  used  to  seek 
out  his  old  companions  in  folly  and  crime,  and  pursue 
them  to  their  miserable  haunts,  and  urge  them  to  reform, 
and  become  men.  'See,' said  he,  'what  Christianity  has 
done  for  me ;  I  was  as  great  a  sinner  as  any  of  you ;  a 
drunkard,  a  swearer,  a  gambler ;  poor,  miserable,  and 
wretched  ;  but  now  I  am  redeemed  from  my  former  ways 


240  LII'E  OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCOTT. 

and  have  become  a  man.  I  have  learned  to  read  ' — his 
wife  taiiglit  him — 'I  have  plenty  of  work,  and  can  feed 
and  clothe  my  family  decently,  and  have  not  only  a 
good  conscience  and  a  blessed  hope,  but  the  best  of 
society  and  the  best  of  cheer.  Try  the  value  of  the  gos- 
pel. It  is  good  for  every  thing — having  promise  of  the  life 
that  now  is,  and  also  of  that  which  is  to  come.'  And  his 
labor  in  this  cew  field  was  not  in  vain.  Once,  after  his 
conversion,  he  went  out  to  the  harvest-field — for  he  was  a 
famous  worker — and  his  old  friends,  who  were  waiting  for 
his  apostasy,  and  anxious  for  it,  had  supplied  themselves 
with  the  accustomed  quantity  of  the  '  fire-water  ;  '  seeing 
Parker  approaching,  with  a  large  jug  swinging  on  his  arm, 
they  began  to  wink  and  chuckle  among  themselves,  sup- 
posing that  the  temptation  of  the  harvest-field  on  a  hot 
day  would  be  too  strong  for  his  new  temperance  habits. 
When  he  came  nigh  them,  they  hailed  his  approach,  and 
each  eyed  with  special  pleasure  his  jug,  and  asked  to  share  at 
once  its  contents,  supposing  it  filled  with  the  choicest  old 
MonoJigahela.  *■  I  never  have  refused  the  call,'  said  Parker ; 
'  it  is  at  your  service;  come,  '  said  he,  '  and  drink ;  but  you 
must  take  it  as  I  do,  unmixed,'  and  by  the  word  of  mouth — 

*  drink,  gentlemen.'  The  first  who  took  hold  of  the  jug- 
drank  a  large  draught,  but  soon  turned  away  from  it  as  a 

*  guilty  thing.'     It  was  buttermilk  !  " 

The  cases  just  mentioned  serve  to  show  the  ver- 
satility of  Elder  Scott's  talent  in  thus  bringing  the 
gospel  to  the  comprehension  of  a  little  child,  and 
making  its  power  to  be  felt  by  poor  ignorant  Parker, 
enslaved  by  his  appetities  and  steeped  in  sin  ;  and, 
oh  !  how  tenderly  he  cared  for  them,  and  bore  them 
up  before  the  throne  in  earnest  prayer  ;  nor  did  they 
forget  him  and  the  lessons  he  taught.  Parker  was  a 
faithful  Christian  man  when  last  heard  from,  and  the 


A  BIG  MEETING.  241 

little  girl,  now  an  aged  Christian  matron,  after  the 
lapse  of  nearly  half  a  century,  speaks  tenderly  of  him 
who  so  lovingly  and  earnestly  pointed  her  to  the  Lamb 
of  God. 

As  intimated  in  the  extract  quoted,  a  large  and 
prosperous  church  was  established,  the  best  families 
in  the  community  were  reached,  and  many  have  gone 
out  from  Carthage  to  bless  other  localities  in  the 
distant  West.  After  the  meeting  above  mentioned, 
the  church,  though  happy  and  peaceful,  did  not  grow 
as  rapidly  as  Elder  Scott  desired  ;  he  had  been  ac- 
customed for  some  years  before  to  preach  at  a  great 
many  places  in  the  course  of  a  year,  and  scarcely  a 
week  passed  without  some  being  brought  to  Christ 
through  his  labors  ;  and  though  he  was  doing  a  good 
work  in  teaching  the  Disciples  who  had  been  gath- 
ered in  Carthage,  he  felt  the  need  of  the  stimulus  of 
success  to  which  he  had  been  so  long  accustomed. 
In  later  life,  he  learned  that  it  was  as  great  a  work 
to  develop  a  true  Christian  life  in  the  converts,  as 
to  persuade  them  to  enter  upon  the  Christian  profes- 
sion ;  but  at  that  period  of  his  history  frequent  con- 
versions were  necessary  to  his  usefulness.  To  arouse 
the  public  mind,  and  secure  the  success  so  much 
desired,  it  was  resolved,  after  a  free  consultation  with 
the  church,  to  have  a  meeting  to  continue  for  several 
days  in  succession,  to  which  the  ablest  ministers 
among  the  Disciples  were  to  be  invited.  L.  H. 
Jameson,  who  was  present,  gives  the  following  ac- 
count of  the  meeting : 

"It  was  appointed  to  take  place  in  September.     It  was 
published  in  the  'Evangelist/  and  when  the  time  came, 
21 


242  LIFE   OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCOTT. 

there  met  John  T.  Johnson  and  Benjamin  Finnell,  from 
Kentucky,  John  O'Kane  and  L.  H.  Jameson,  from  Indiana, 
B.  U.  Watkins,'  and  several  others,  from  Ohio,  whose 
names  are  not  remembered  now.  Preaching  was  held  in 
the  grove  during  the  day,  and  in  the  big  school-house  at 
night.  Meetings  were  held  three  times  a  day.  The  preaching 
was  by  Johnson  and  O'Kane,  the  exhortations  and  sing- 
ing by  the  young  men  and  church.  Bro.  Scott  presided  over 
the  movement,  but  took  no  very  active  part.  The  crowds 
were  large,  but  the  people-  seemed  to  be  stupefied  with  sur- 
prise at  what  tliey  saw  and  heard.  There  seemed  to  be 
no  prospect  for  any  fruit.  Johnson  preached  at  lo  a.  m. 
in  the  grove ;  Ben.  Finnell  at  3  p.  m.,  same  place,  but  with- 
out results.  The  woods  were  literally  full  of  people.  On 
Lord's-day  night,  O'Kane  preached  in  the  school-house  to 
a  great  crowd  in-doors  and  out.  Invitations  were  given, 
songs  were  sung,  and  earnest  exhortations  were  offered, 
but  not  a  soul  moved.  Bro.  Scott  then  quietly  arose  and 
began  to  speak  about  as  follows  :  '  My  friends  and  dearly 
beloved,  I  have  been  living  among  you,  and  trying  to 
preach  the  gospel  to  you,  for  sometime  past.  I  have  ob- 
served that,  for  some  reason  or  other,  my  humble  ministra- 
tions of  the  glorious  gospel  of  Christ  had  ceased  to  be 
effective.  I  felt  unable  to  divine  the  reason.  It  occurred 
to  me,  that  it  might  be  for  the  reason  that  you  had  some 
objections  to  the  77ia7i.  Under  this  impression,  I  deter- 
mined to  get  out  of  the  way;  and  so  we  appointed  this 
meeting.  We  sent  for  faithful  men  to  come  and  assist 
us.  They  have  come,  and  they  have  preached  and  ex- 
horted ;  they  have  sung  and  prayed,  and  entreated  with 
tears,  and  all  to  no  purpose.  Not  one  of  you  have  been 
moved.  I  have  taken  no  part  "in  the  matter  of  preaching 
or  exhorting  myself,  simply  for  the  reason  that  I  did  not 
intend  to  be  in  the  way.  But  now,  after  all  that  has  been 
said  and  done,  I  have  come  to  this  conclusion,  that  your 
stupid  indifference  is  not  owing  to  any  objections  you  have 


A  BIG  MEETING.  243 

to  me,  nor  yet  to  the  men  who  have  been  laboring  before 
you,  but  solely  to  your  own  cruel  hard-heartedness.  I  am 
perfectly  astonished  at  you  !  I  am  confounded  !  I  don't 
know  what  to  make  of  you  !  What  can  I  say  to  you  after 
all  that  has  been  said  by  these  dear  brethren  ?  Are  you 
not  ashamed  of  yourselves  ?  to  sit  here  from  day  to  day, 
and  from  night  to  night,  listening  to  such  reasonings,  to 
such  appeals,  without  being  moved.  What  can  be  the 
matter  with  you?  Is  it  because  you  are  destitute  of  com- 
mon intelligence  ?  Or  is  it  because  you  are  utterly  care- 
less with  regard  to  your  own  eternal  interests  ?  Have  you 
no  fear  of  the  High  and  Lofty  One  who  inhabits  eternity? 
Are  you  not  afraid  that  Jehovah  may  turn  upon  you  in  his 
wrath,  and  say,  as  he  did  to  Israel  of  old:  *'If  I  lift  up 
my  hand  to  heaven,  and  say  I  live  forever!  If  I  whet  my 
glittering  sword,  and  my  hand  take  hold  on  judgment,  I 
will  render  vengeance  to  mine  enemies,  and  will  reward 
them  that  hate  me."  And,  oh,  my  friends,  who  will  be 
able  to  bear  the  lighting  down  of  his  arm?  Are  you  dis- 
posed to  defy  the  Omnipotent  to  arms?  To  engage  in 
fearful  and  unequal  war  with  the  Eternal  ?  To  hurl  your- 
selves against  the  bosses  of  Jehovah's  buckler,  and  so  to 
meet  certain  and  eternal  overthrow?  He  calls  in  mercy 
to-night ;  how  can  you  dare  to  refuse  ?  He  stretches  out 
his  hand ;  how  can  you  disregard  him  ?  Are  you  not 
afraid  to  trifle  with  his  grace  ?  Are  you  not  afraid  that  he 
will  break  forth  upon  you  like  a  lion,  and  rend  you  to 
pieces?  Do  you  not  fear  lest  he  might  come  suddenly 
forth  out  of  his  place  and  cut  you  asunder,  and  appoint 
you  your  portion  with  hypocrites  and  unbelievers?  Oh, 
my  friends,  for  God's  sake,  and  for  your  own  soul's  salva- 
tion sake,  be  persuaded,  be  constrained,  by  the  love  of 
Christ,  to  be  reconciled  to  God.  Is  it  so,  oh,  my 
neighbors  and  friends,  that  the  grace  of  God,  and  the  love 
of  Christ,  all  the  sacrifices  of  Divine  mercy,  in  your  be- 
half, are  to  be  in  vain  ?     Can  you  consent  to  trample  the 


244  LIFE  OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCOTT. 

licart's  blood  of  Jesus  under  foot?  Can  you  deliberately 
determine  to  do  despite  to  the  Spirit  of  Grace  ?  Can  you 
consent  to  fill  the  very  heavens  with  lamentations,  rather 
than  joy  on  your  account?  ''As  1  live,,  saith  the  Lord, 
I  delight  not  in  the  death  of  the  sinner,  but  rather  that 
he  would  turn  and  live!"  Turn  you!  turn  you!  Oh, 
my  friends,  for  why  will  you  die  ?  The  Father  calls  ;  the 
Son  calls ;  the  Spirit  and  the  Bride  call.  Say,  my  friends, 
will  you  come?  Brethren,  we  will  afford  these  poor 
sinners  one  more  opportunity  before  we  part.  Surely 
some  of  them  will  be  constrained  to  obey.  Sing,  breth- 
ren !  ' 

''The  effect  of  this  appeal  was  wonderful.  The  entire 
audience  was  astir.  The  first  notes  of  the  song  were 
scarcely  uttered  before  some  of  the  best  citizens  of  the 
place  presented  themselves  to  make  the  confession.  The 
brethren,  who  thought,  while  the  speech  was  being  deliv- 
ered, that  Bro.  Scott  was  ruining  every  thing,  that  the 
people  would  be  excited  to  madness  against  him,  were  all 
taken  aback.  From  being  crouched  down  in  their  seats 
with  shame  and  chagrin,  while  he  was  speaking,  they  were 
on  their  feet,  in  a  moment,  when  they  saw  the  unexpected 
result,  singing  with  faces  covered  all  over  with  smiles  and 
moistened  with  tears. 

"It  is  now  within  a  few  months  of  forty  years  since  that 
night  meeting  took  place.  Almost  all  that  took  part  in  it 
are  in  another  world  to-day.  But  I  venture  to  affirm,  that 
to  the  latest  day  of  the  life  of  the  dead,  as  to  the  last  hour 
of  the  life  of  the  living  who  were  there,  Walter  Scott's 
triumph  was,  and  will  be,  remembered.  Never  before  had 
we  seen  so  vividly  depicted  the  majesty,  the  fearfulness, 
the  glory,  the  love,  the  mercy,  and  the  grace  of  the  great 
God,  and  our  Savior,  Jesus  Christ.  Never  before  had  sin 
been  portrayed  in  so  loathsome  a  garb,  and  those  who 
persisted  in  it  made  to  appear  so  mean.  The  manner  of 
the  speaker  was  all  that  the  utterances  required.     Some- 


EFFECTS  OF  SCOTrS  ADDRESS.  245 

times  as  gentle  as  an  evening  zephyr,  in  a  moment  a  dark 
cloud,  flaming  with  lightning,  overshadowed  the  heavens, 
and  the  rushing  storm  was  heard,  leveling  e#ry  thing  in 
its  course;  then  gentle,  and  tender,  and  inviting  again. 
The  speech  was  short,  consequently,  the  transitions  had  to 
be  quickly  made.     He  did  it,  and  he  did  it  well." 

The  meeting  was  protracted  for  several  days,  and 
some  thirty  or  forty  additions  made  to  the  church.  Nor 
was  the  feeling  thus  aroused  a  transient  one,  prosperity 
attended  the  labors  of  Scott,  and  in  about  two  years  after 
his  first  visit,  the  church  which  he  had  planted  num- 
bered two  hundred  souls. 


246  LIFE  OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCOTT. 


CHAPTER    XVI. 

Abundant  labors — Hospitality — Liberality — Teaching  the  Scriptures  in  his 
family — Washes  a  brother's  feet — Tribute  to  B.  W.  Stone — Thomas 
Campbell  and  Alexander  Campbell — Treatment  of  young  preachers — 
Good  news  from  other  fields. 

THE  labors  of  Elder  Scott  at  this  period  of  his 
life  were  extremely  arduous ;  calls  for  preaching 
at  various  points  were  incessant  and  urgent ;  and  this 
portion  of  his  work  would  have  been  sufficient  for 
most  men.  In  addition  to  this,  was  the  preparation 
of  material  for  his  paper,  the  "  Evangelist,"  which  was 
steadily  growing  in  public  favor ;  a  constant  tide  of 
visitors  also  claimed  much  of  his  time,  and  every 
mail  brought  letters  of  inquiry  with  regard  to  the 
great  questions  to  which  the  new  movement  had 
given  rise.  His  home  was  a  very  humble  one,  and 
his  means  extremely  limited,  yet  to  all  comers  there 
was  extended  a  warm  and  generous  hospitality — 
a  hospitality  which  the  thousands  who  partook  of 
it  will  never  forget.  The  fare,  it  is  true,  was  often 
humble,  but  the  hearty  welcome,  which  never  was 
wanting,  made  the  simplest  meal  a  rich  banquet. 

He  seldom  possessed  any  thing  beyond  what  was 
needed  for  the  present  and  pressing  wants,  any  sur- 
plus was  sure  to  go  to  those  who  were  more  needy 
than  himself,  and  often  the  wants  of  such  seemed  to 
be  more  keenly  felt  than  his  own.  More  than  once 
he  returned  home  with   an  empty  basket  from  the 


SCO'J'T'S  LIBERALITY.  247 

market,  having  given  the  money  with  which  it  was 
to  have  been  filled  to  some  needy  one,  either  a  fiiend 
or  stranger,  which,  it  mattered  not,  provided  only 
that  the  need  was  great.  Once,  and  once  only,  he 
was  the  possessor  of  two  cows,  but  this  did  not  long 
continue,  for  a  poor  neighbor  had  none,  but  soon 
they  were  on  an  equality,  having  one  each  ;  and,  as  a 
gift  he  thought  should  be  a  good  one,  the  neighbor 
got  the  best  cow ;  but  his  children  complained  at  this 
somewhat,  not  that  he  had  given  away  a  cow,  but 
that  he  had  given  the  one  that  wore  the  bell. 

Amid  all  his  cares  and  labors  ,he  was  not  unmind- 
ful of  the  spiritual  needs  of  his  own  little  flock,  five 
in  number — four  sons  and  one  daughter — knowing 
that  they  would  be  saved  or  condemned  as  they 
obeyed  or  disobeyed  the  truth.  With  the  feeling  and 
providence  of  a  wise  man  and  kind  father,  he  was 
careful  to  have  them  instructed  in  the  truth,  know- 
ing that  a  human  being  is  incapable  of  either  obey- 
ing, believing,  or  understanding  the  Scriptures  unless 
pains  be  taken  for  that  purpose.  The  course  pur- 
sued in  his  family  may  be  gathered  from  a  single 
morning  scene,  which  was  not  an  unusual,  but  a  cus- 
tomary one.  While  breakfast  was  in  preparation, 
all  the  family,  except  those  who  attended  to  the 
victuals,  including  some  guests  that  were  present, 
were  intensely  busy  in  committing  to  memory  the 
Holy  Scriptures.  After  breakfast,  the  first  to  quit 
the  table,  and  run  from  the  breakfast-room  to  the 
parlor,  was  a  child  two  years  of  age.  The  rest  fol- 
lowed until  the  entire  family  were  seated  in  the  same 
apartment  and  here  was  displayed  a  scene  as  primi- 
tive, lovely,  pure,  and  holy,  as  ever  opened  on  mortal 


248  LIFE  OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCOTT. 

eyes.  The  family  being  thus  assembled  for  religious 
instruction,  at  a  look  from  his  father,  the  eldest  son, 
ten  years  of  age,  with  a  steady,  unfaltering  voice, 
began  the  song  which  the  children  of  Israel  sung 
upon  the  shores  of  deliverance,  when  they  had  by 
the  mercy  of  God  passed  the  perils  of  the  Red  Sea ; 
'*  I  will  sing  unto  the  Lord,  for  he  hath  triumphed 
gloriously  ;  the  horse  and  rider  hath  he  thrown  into  the 
sea;  the  Lord  is  my  strength  and  song,  and  he  is 
become  my  salvation  ;  he  is  my  God,  and  I  will  pre- 
pare him  a  habitation  ;  my  father's  God,  and  I  will 
exalt  him  ;  the  Lord  .is  a  man  of  war  ;  the  Lord  is  his 
name."  Every  heart  was  touched,  when  the  father 
gave  his  son  William,  then  six  years  old,  a  significant 
look,  and  the  child,  not  the  least  abashed  in  con- 
sequence of  frecjuent  practice,  began  as  follows  :  "And 
Naomi  took  the  child  and  laid  it  in  her  bosom,  and 
became  nurse  to  it  ;  and  the  women,  her  neighbors, 
gave  it  a  name,  saying,  a  child  is  born  to  Naomi,  and 
they  called  his  name  Obed  ;  he  is  the  father  of  Jesse, 
the  father  of  David."  His  daughter  Emily,  then  eight 
years  old,  whose  fancy  was  caught  by  what  her 
brother  had  said,  asked  her  father  where  she  would 
find  the  story  of  little  Obed.  He  answered,  that 
the  story  was  recorded  in  the  book  of  Ruth,  and 
added,  a  very  pretty  one  it  is,  and,  turning  to  the 
rest,  said:  "  \\\  the  book  of  Ruth  the  simplicity  of  the 
early  ages  is  very  strikingly  exhibited,  and  it  seems 
to  have  been  collected  with  other  parts  of  the  sacred 
canon  of  Scripture  in  order  to  supply  the  origin  and 
pedigree  of  the  royal  family  of  David,  of  which  it  was 
promised  that  the  Messiah,  according  to  the  flesh, 
should    be   born."     Emily    then    repeated,   with    the 


HOUSEHOLD    WORSHIP.  249 

Utmost  accuracy,  the  whole  of  the  Messiah's  lineage 
from  Adam  to  Abraham,  and  thence  to  David,  and 
thence  again  to  Jesus,  ending  with  the  latter  part  of 
the  first  chapter  of  Matthew,  whose  gospel  she  and 
her  brothers  were  then  in  daily  lessons  committing  to 
memory. 

Elder  B.  U.  Watkins,  at  that  time  a  young  man, 
was  residing  in  the  family  for  the  purpose  of  improv- 
ing his  Christian  knowledge,  and  between  him  and 
Elder  Scott,  a  singular  and  interesting  exercise  took 
place ;  this  was  the  repeating  at  first  in  alternate 
verses,  and  then  in  alternate  chapters,  a  large  portion 
of  the  Epistle  to  the  Hebrews.  The  recitations  were 
not  only  accurate,  but  great  attention  was  paid  to 
emphasis  and  pronunciation,  which  made  it  far  more 
impressive  than  a  mere  formal  reading  would  have 
been.  Another  young  minister  who  was  present  re- 
peated the  fifth  chapter  of  First  Timothy,  and  Mrs. 
Scott  added  a  passage  from  the  gospel  by  Matthew. 
The  exercise  began  with  the  song  of  Moses,  and  the 
father  closed  it  by  chanting,  in  rich,  full  tones,  the 
song  of  the  Lamb  :  "  Worthy  is  the  Lamb,  that  was 
slain  to  receive  power,  and  riches,  and  wisdom,  and 
strength,  and  honor,  and  glory,  and  blessing;  for  thou 
wast  slain  for  us,  and  hast  redeemed  us  to  God  by 
thy  blood,  out  of  every  kindred,  and  tongue,  and 
people,  and  nation,  and  hast  made  us  to  our  God 
kings  and  priests,  and  we  shall  reign  on  the  earth." 
The  whole  family  then  joined  in  singing  the  hymn, 
"  Lo,  he  comes  with  clouds  descending,"  after  which 
thanksgivings  were  oftered  for  all  the  favors  of  life 
and  religion,  and  the  family  separated  for  the  duties 
of  the  day. 


250  LIFE  OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCOTT. 

B.  U.  Watkins,  to  whom  reference  has  been  made, 
thus  writes  with  regard  to  the  course  pursued  while 
he  was  in  the  family : 

*'  It  was  in  the  spring  of  1833  that  I  began  to  study  the 
Bible  with  Walter  Scott.  His  residence,  at  that  time,  was 
about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  east  of  the  village.  Neither  the 
house  nor  its  surroundings  were  at  all  romantic;  but  yet 
we  found  it  pleasant — very  pleasant  to  study  the  Holy 
Scriptures.  It  was  our  habit  to  commit  to  memory  a  chap- 
ter from  the  New  Testament  before  breakfast,  each  select- 
ing different  portions  of  the  Scripture,  which  we  recited  at 
family  worship,  which  came  directly  after  eating.  In  this 
exercise  every  member  of  the  family  was  expected  to  take 
part.  His  amiable  wife  and  the  children,  who  were  then 
but  small,  seldom  recited  a  whole  chapter.  There  was 
something  in  this  profound  attention  to  the  Bible  that 
pleased  me  more  than  I  can  well  describe.  We  soon  began 
to  commit  the  Scriptures  systematically,  paying  special  at- 
tention to  the  larger  epistles — Romans  and  Hebrews.  After 
morning  worship,  it  was  our  custom  to  walk  out  together, 
and  during  the  walk  refresh  our  memories  with  what  we 
had  learned  in  the  last  week  or  month.  This  was'done  by 
reciting  from  memory,  and  prompting  each  other  without 
the  use  of  any  book.  Sometimes  we  repeated  verse  about, 
sometimes  one  recited  till  his  memory  failed,  then  the  other 
began  where  he  left  off,  and,  thus  the  exercise  was  con- 
tinued indefinitely,  and  on  our  return  to  the  house,  we 
again  referred  to  the  book  if  we  were  conscious  of  any 
defect  of  memory.  In  this  way  large  portions  of  the 
New  Testament  were  committed  to  memory,  and  made 
very  effectually  and,  permanently  our  own.  Over  and 
above  this  memorizing,  we  studied  together  exegesis  and 
criticism.  But  not  one  word,  as  now  remembered,  was 
said  about  what  is  popularly  known  as  Theology — about 


JO  YS  A iVB  SO/CA' OirS.  2  5. 1 

the  philosophy  of  religion  or  the  analogy  of  faith.  The 
reason  for  this  apparent  oversight  was  very  obvious  to  my 
mind.  Both  A.  Campbell  and  Walter  Scott  had  abjured 
all  religious  philosophy,  and  went  directly  to  the  Word  of 
God,  to  hear  what  it  would  say,  and  to  let  simple  faith  sup- 
plant all  human  philosophy;  and  it  was  his  custom  then  to 
submit,  with  the  docility  of  a  child,  to  a  positive  declara- 
tion of  Scripture. 

**  These  were  pioneer  days — days  of  great  trials  and 
great  triumphs.  Bro.  Scott  enjoyed  the  triumphs  with  a 
keen  relish,  and  felt  the  crushing  weight  of  pioneer  priva- 
tions and  trials  as  only  such  natures  as  his  could  feel. 
He  had  embarked  his  all  in  his  plea  for  the  primitive 
gospel,  and  at  that  time  there  was  no  earthly  compensa- 
tion for  such  labor.  He  was  poor,'  very  poor ;  while  I 
lived  in  his  family  it  was  not  at  all  uncommon  for  them  to 
be  almost  destitute  of  the  common  necessaries  ot  life.  He 
was  a  great  believer  in  prayer,  and  just  at  the  point  of 
greatest  need  help  always  came." 

And  yet  his  life  was  far  from  being  a  sad  one.  Able 
ministers  of  the  gospel — partners  in  his  glorious 
toil — often  called  to  see  him,  and  cheer  him  with  ac- 
counts of  the  success  of  the  truth  in  their  hands — 
Barton  W.  Stone,  L.  L.  Pinkerton,  Samuel  Rogers, 
L.  H.  Jameson,  his  beloved  pupil.  Dr.  Richardson, 
and  many  other  earnest  workers.  And  with  such 
company  all  discomforts  were  forgotten  ;  far  into  the 
night  they  were  often  engaged  upon  the  theme  dear- 
est to  their  hearts,  and  when  the  time  of  parting 
came  they  mutually  thanked  God  and  took  courage. 
His  welcome  was  not  reserved  for  the  great  and  good 
men,  such  as  we  have-named,  alone — none  were  turned 
away ;  and  the  poorest  disciple  was  sure  of  any  kind- 


252  LIFE  OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCOTT. 

ness  he  might  need  that  it  was  in  the  power  of  Scott 
to  bestow.  He  treated  all  who  claimed  to  be  the  dis- 
ciples of  Jesus  as  his  brethren — as  his  Father's  chil- 
dren ;  the  young  and  the  timid  soon  felt  at  ease  in 
his  presence,  and  went  away  strengthened  and  en- 
couraged. One  who  was  a  true  disciple,  and,  who 
years  ago,  went  to  his  reward,  told  a  bosom  friend 
the  following  incident : 

"When  quite  a  young  man,  a  year  or  two  after  I  had 
heard  and  embraced  the  gospel,  I  determined  to  pay  a  visit 
to  Ohio  and  Virginia,  with  the  purpose  of  visiting  A. 
Campbell  and  Walter  Scott,  whom  I  regarded  as  the 
greatest  spirits  of  the  age.  Reaching  Carthage  on  a  sum- 
mer afternoon,  I  left  my  horse  at  the  village  inn,  and 
directed  my  steps  to  the  residence  of  Walter  Scott.  I 
found  him  on  the  porch  reading,  handed  him  my  letter  of 
introduction,  after  reading  which  he  gave  me  a  most  cordial 
greeting  and  invited  me  into  the  house.  After  conversing 
a  few  minutes,  he  left  the  room  and  in  a  short  time  re- 
turned with  a  basin  of  water  and  a  towel,  and,  in  the 
kindest  tones,  said,  'My  young  brother,  permit  me,  in  the 
name  of  the  Lord,  to  wash  your  feet,'  and  he  immedi- 
ately proceeded  to  do  so  ;  and  while  kneeling  at  his  task 
kept  me  engaged  in  conversation  until  it  was  accomplished. 
Never  did  I  realize  till  then  what  a  lesson  of  humility 
such  an  act  could  convey,  and  the  impression  made  upon 
my  mind  has  never  been  effaced." 

He  had  the  highest  regard  for  the  abilities  and  feel- 
ings of  his  associates  in  the  ministry,  and  knew  not 
what  it  was  either  to  envy,  or  desire  to  outshine 
them.  A  fine  example  of  this  is  found  in  his  recog- 
nition of  the  eminent  abilities  and  devoted  labors  of 
the  Campbells,  father  and  son  ;  and  of  B.  W.   Stone, 


PARABLE  OF  THE  SHIPS.  253 

in  one  of  his  most  brilliant  essays,  styled  the  "  Para- 
ble of  the  Ships."  He  takes  the  reader  with  him  to 
a  lofty  peak  on  the  sea-beat  shore,  and  represents, 
by  the  various  vessels  which  deck  the  blue  waters, 
the  different  churches  of  ancient  and  modern  times. 
Among  these  he  points  out  "The  Christian,"  "The 
Church  of  God,"  and  "The  Restoration  ;"  by  the  first 
of  which  he  means  the  body  of  which  Barton  W. 
Stone  was  a  prominent  member;  by  the  second,  he 
intends  those  Independent  Baptists  who  first  laid 
aside  all  human  creeds  and  strove  to  conform  to  the 
primitive  model ;  and  by  the  Restoration,  those,  who 
under  the  labors  of  himself  and  associates,  had  made 
still  greater  advances  in  the  attempt  to  return  to 
original  ground.  The  allusion  to  Elder  Thomas 
Campbell  is  particularly  fine,  and  not  more  elegant 
and  felicitous  than  true.  For  he,  beyond  all  question, 
first  settled  upon  the  great  principle — the  seed-truth 
from  which  all  that  is  valuable  in  the  Reformation 
sprung — "That  we  must  speak  where  the  Scriptures 
speak,  and  be  silent  where  they  are  silent;"  or,  in 
other  words,  make  the  Word  of  God  the  only  rule  of 
faith  and  practice.  He,  if  ever  man  did,  regarded 
the  Word  of  God  as  the  mariner  does  the  polar  star, 
and  few  purer  lives  have  adorned  and  illustrated  the 
religion  of  Jesus  than  did  his.  He  makes  a  passing 
allusion  at  the  close  to  himself,  without  wdiich  the 
sketch  would  have  been  imperfect,  but  it  will  be  seen 
that  he  claims  not  a  higher,  nay,  scarcely  an  equal, 
place  with  the  rest.     He  asks  the  reader  : 

*'  Do  you  see  these  three  ships  near  to  shore  taking  in 
numerous  passengers,  and  bearing   the  several   names  of 


254  LIFE  OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCOTT. 

'The  Christian/  'The  Church  of  God,'  and  'The  Restor- 
ation?' I  do.  Well,  then,  in  the  first  of  them,  viz.  : 
'The  Christian,'  you  see,  standing  with  his  hand  upon  the 
helm,  a  man  of  patriarchal  appearance,  with  a  black  coat 
and  a  broad-brimmed  hat,  do  you  not  ?  I  do.  That,  sir, 
is  the  man  who  for  many  years  has  guided  with  unvarying 
liand  the  stately  vessel  which  you  now  look  at,  blameless,  not 
self-willed,  not  soon  angry,  not  given  to  wine;  no  striker, 
and  not  given  to  filthy  lucre;  he  is  a  lover  of  hospitality, 
a  lover  of  good  men;  sober,  just,  holy,  temperate;  and  firm 
as  a  Stone  he  holdeth  fast  the  faithful  compass  in  the  bin- 
nacle before  him.  After  maintaining,  through  a  long 
series  of  years,  the  high  distinction  of  pilot  to  '  The 
Christian,'  he  is  now  ready,  as  he  has  shown,  to  resign 
his  post  to  the  person  to  whom  the  Great  Captain  of  Sal- 
vation shall  see  meet  to  give  it  in  charge.  May  he  die  in 
the  midst  of  his  brethren,  with  the  words  of  peace  on  hiS 
lips,  and  glory  in  his  soul. 

"  '  The  Church  of  God  '  is  a  vessel  of  original  mould  and 
bottom,  but  differing,  in  the  first  instance,  from  '  The 
Christian,'  which,  as  originally  fitted  out,  had  more  sail 
than  ballast.  '  The  Church  of  God  '  had  more  ballast  than 
sail,  and  so  moved  forward  tardily  till,  meeting  with  '  The 
Restoration,'  she  hoisted  an  additional  sail,  and  now  the 
three  ships  are  all  along  to  Jerusalem  in  a  league  of  peace 
and  amity!  But  to  'The  Restoration.'  You  must  see, 
sir,  that  she  is  a  vessel  of  the  divinest  and  most  peculiar 
mould.  I  do  not  refer  to  any  display  she  makes,  for  she 
makes  none ;  but  look  at  the  length,  and  strength,  and 
sturdiness  of  her  timbers!  her  keel  and  ribs  are  made  as 
for  eternity !  and  within  her  capacious  walls  may  walk  at 
ease,  if  they  would  walk  in  the  t?'i(fh,  the  whole  world  of 
mankind.  Who  is  that  apostolic-looking  personage  be- 
hind the  binnacle,  with  heaven  in  his  eye,  and  gazing  full 
upon  the  northern  and  polar  star?  That,  sir,  is  the  man 
who  laid  her  beams  in  the  Bible.     Mark  the  height  and 


PARABLE  OF  THE  SHIPS.  255 

capacity  of  his  forehead  !  the  depth,  and  strength,  and 
color  of  the  eye  that  coiicheth  underneath ;  the  intellect  and 
argument  developed  in  the  length  and  weight  and  mobility 
of  his  cheek ;  the  massy  ear,  and  the  veneration  of  his 
silvery  locks  that  now  stream  to  the  wintry  winds  like  the 
bright  radiations  of  light !  and  say,  whether,  as  he  stands, 
he  does  not  realize  to  you  all  that  you  have  imagined  of 
the  venerable  Nestor,  Nestor  of  Sandy  Pylos !  Holy, 
vigilant,  and  indefatigable,  and  avoiding  questions  which 
engender  strife,  like  a  true  servant  of  God,  he  is  gentle 
toward  all  men,  apt  to  teach,  patient,  in  meekness  instruct- 
ing those  who  oppose  themselves,  if  God,  peradvcnture, 
will  grant  them  repentance  unto  the  acknowledgment  of 
the  truth,  and  that  they  may  recover  themselves  out  of  the 
snare  of  the  devil,  who  are  taken  captive  at  his  will.  The 
father  of  believing  children,  and  ruling  well  his  own  house; 
a  lover  of  hospitality,  a  lover  of  good  men ;  his  soul 
looketh  forth  from  her  clayey  tenement  toward  heaven  on 
high.  He  shall  die  the  death  of  the  righteous ;  his  last 
end  shall  be  his  ! 

"And  who  is  that  with  a  strong  hand  upon  the  helm, 
eyeing  the  whole  squadron  of  the  Reformation,  as  if  he 
would  run  them  down  ?  Names  are  odious,  sir.  The  dis- 
tinction and  priority  which  he  there  enjoys  has  been  well 
earned.  Do  you  see  his  face?  There  is  not  a  straight 
line  in  it !  and  Nature,  as  if  she  had  determined  there 
should  be  none,  besides  giving  the  nasal  organ  an  eleva- 
tion truly  Roman,  has  slightly  inclined  the  whole  to  one 
side — the  right  side  !  The  lip,  too,  and  the  azure  eye, 
edged  with  the  fire  of  the  bird  of  Jove,  yield  in  the  same 
direction ;  while  the  well-developed  marble  forehead,  and 
the  whole  frontal  region,  give  forth  all  the  marks  of  the 
depth,  the  extent,  the  variety,  and  the  fervor  of  which  he 
has  proved  himself  possessed.  Why  do  so  many  keep 
gazing  at  him  from  the  decks  of  the  other  vessels — '  The 
Presbyterian,'    'The  Seceder,'    'The   Infidel,'   and   many 


256  LIFE  OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCOTT. 

more?  Mark,  sir,  the  extraordinary  developnient  behind 
his  ear,  and  inquire  no  more ;  he  has  run  the  prow  of  the 
'  Restoration  '  into  ahiiost  every  ship  of  any  size  in  the 
fleet,  and  these  groups  upon  the  decks  are  poor  folks  met 
to  deplore  the  disasters;  and  yon  chasm,  in  the  hull  of  the 
Regular  Baptist,  which  you  have  noticed,  and  which  the 
men  aboard  are  tinkering  at,  is  the  hole  which  he  ham- 
mered out,  and  at  which  he  and  his  associates  leaped  forth. 
Valiant  for  the  truth  in  the  earth,  and  fearing  nothing 
but  God  and  evil,  may  he,  till  death,  maintain,  by  honor 
and  righteousness,  the  high  distinction  and  priority  which 
he  now  enjoys ;  and  then,  having  gone,  his  name  and  his 
fame  shall  be  in  the  mouth  of  all  saints,  greater  than  if 
written  on  the  blue  firmament  with  a  pen  of  gold  !  better 
than  if  poured  in  letters  of  living  gold  along  the  sky ! 

"Who  is  that  lean  man  behind  him,  with  his  eye  de- 
vouring the  compass  in  the  binnacle,  and  whose  head  the 
Pilot  would  raise  from  his  bosom  whereon  it  had  reclined  ? 
No  names,  sir ;  if  he  leaped  from  the  chasm  first,  bearing 
along  with  him  the  flag  of  the  Union,  he  is  to  be  borne 
with.  It  is  well  his  purposes  are  divine,  and  founded  in 
truth,  for  you  can  not  turn  him.  And  who  are  all  these 
joyous  men  and  officers  aboard,  crowding  around  the  helm? 
These,  sir,  are  all  volunteers,  and  singing,  as  you  hear, 

"  The  everlasting  gospel  has  launched  the  deep  at  last : 
Behold  her  sails  unfurled  upon  her  towering  mast ! 
Her  joyous  crew  upon  the  deck  in  loving  order  stand, 
Crying  '  Ho,  here  we  go  for  Immanuel's  happy  land,'  " 

He  especially  delighted  to  put  forward  and  encour- 
age young  men  in  the  ministry  of  the  Word,  and  such, 
instead  of  being  abashed  and  disheartened  by  the 
presence  of  one  so  royally  endowed  with  the  highest 
qualities  for  efficiency  in  the  pulpit,  felt  rather 
cheered  and  encouraged,  knowing  that  his  desire  for 


EiXCOURAGES   YOUXG   PREACHERS.  25/ 

success  and  usefulness  was  scarcely  inferior  to  their 
own.  Many  of  his  sons  in  the  gospel  will  remember 
this  feature  in  his  character:  the  encouragement  given 
before  rising  to  speak;  in  his  earnest  prayer  for  them  ; 
the  low  murmurs  of  approval  at  the  best  points  of  the 
discourse,  and  the  warm  and  hearty  approval  at  its 
close.  To  one  of  these,  on  their  way  to  an  appoint- 
ment, where  he  himself  was  expected  to  preach,  he 
said  :  "  Now  I  will  tell  you  how  we  must  do ;  I  will 
preach,  and  you  must  follow  in  an  exhortation ;  I  will 
strike  at  the  head,  and  you  must  strike  at  the  heart, 
and  cry  if  yoii  can','  by  which  he  did  not  mean,  seem 
to  feel  even  if  you  do  not ;  but  let  your  subject,  and 
the  condition  of  the  lost  sinners  you  are  addressing 
so  take  hold  of  your  heart,  that  you  may  feel  for 
them  ;  and  thus  make  them  feel. 

Although  residing  at  Carthage,  his  labors  were  by 
no  means  confined  there  ;  many  other  places  were 
visited,  and  churches  already  existing  greatly  enlarged 
and  strengthened  ;  and  also  many  new  ones  estab- 
lished, in  which  the  fruits  of  his  labors  may  be  seen  to 
this  day.  In  addition  to  the  success  that  was  attend- 
ing his  own  personal  labors,  he  was  greatly  cheered 
by  encouraging  reports  from  other  fields  where  the 
seed  he  had  sown  in  tears  was  giving  a  rich  harvest 
to  the  hands  of  those  who  had  been  his  helpers  at  the 
beginning  of  the  movement,  when  every  man's  hand 
was  against  them  ;  and,  greater,  moreover,  was  his 
joy  to  find  that  many  of  his  converts  were  quitting 
themselves  like  men,  and  gathering  multitudes  into 
the  fold.  On  the  Western  Reserve,  especially,  the 
cause  was  flourishing  to  such  an  extent,  that  preach- 
ers of  various  religious  parties  had  almost  ceased  the 

22 


258  LIFE  OF  ELDER  WALTER  SCOTT. 

woYk  of  opposition,  as  many  from  their  own  ranks 
had  embraced,  and  were  preaching,  the  faith  they  had 
once  attempted  to  destroy ;  and  the  people  every- 
where gladly  gave  heed  to  the  truth.  From  the  scene 
of  his  early  and  arduous  labors  in  the  republication 
of  the  ancient  gospel,  one  writes  :  "I  have  been  at  a 
great  many  large  meetings,  which  I  thought  could 
not  be  exceeded  for  love  and  affection,  but  such  a 
one  as  this,  I  never  before  witnessed.  It  was  sup- 
posed that  twenty-five  hundred  were  present,  chiefly 
Disciples  ;  thirty-five  were  immersed  at  one  time  ; 
Wm.  Hayden,  stood  in  the  water  until  he  had  bap- 
tized eighteen.  Upwards  of  four  hundred  converts 
have  been  made  in  this  region  during  the  year."  An- 
other, writing  from  Stark  County,  Ohio,  says  :  "  The 
Disciples  in  this  part  of  the  county  are  numerous. 
I  was  informed  that  in  the  town  of  Minerva,  and 
within  a  few  miles  around,  there  are  about  one  thou- 
sand." From  Ravenna,  Ohio,  the  news  came  :  "  The 
ancient  gospel  is  performing  wonders  in  this  county, 
breaking  in  upon  the  old  sectarian  establishments. 
The  careless  and  unthinking  are  aroused  to  a  sense 
of  their  folly.  In  short,  the  Reformation  has  out- 
stripped our  most  sanguine  expectations."  Wm. 
Hayden  wrote  of  great  success  in  the  field  of  his 
labors,  and  reported  that  the  cause  was  making  con- 
siderable progress  in  the  State  of  New  York,  and,  still 
later,  added,  "  It  would  be  good  for  you  to  visit  the 
Western  Reserve,  and  to  see  the  very  boys  whom 
you,  seven  years  ago,  immersed,  preaching  and  bap- 
tizing like  men.  I  have  immersed  about  fifty-six  this 
year  ;  and  the  aggregate  of  immersions  by  all  our 
teachers    here    is    i:)robably    about   three   hundred." 


C7//:/:av.vc  x/-:irs.  259 

From  anotlicr  part  of  the  State,  Bro.  Dowling  wrote 
that  himself  and  a  fellow-laborer  had  added  three  hun- 
dred to  the  church  within  the  }-ear.  From  other  States 
also  came  news  most  cheering,  so  that  Scott  could 
write  with  truth  :  "  Our  desk  groans  under  a  load  of 
letters  from  all  points  crowded  with  the  joyful  tidings 
of  the  spread  of  the  gospel."  Looking  at  its  progress 
for  the  last  few  years,  its  success  is  wonderful,  and 
then  adds  :  "  But  when  all  that  it  has  achieved  is 
contemplated  in  connection  with  all  that  must  be 
achieved,  we  are  compelled  to  put  our  finger  upon 
our  lips,  and  to  say,  how  much  yet  remains  to  be  done ! 
As  for  ourselves,  we  hope  to  improve  upon  the  past, 
and  to  do  more  and  better  for  the  truth  than  we  have 
yet  done.  We  have  attended  many  general  meetings 
during  the  present  year,  and  made  many  hasty  ex- 
cursions into  divers  vicinities  for  the  purpose  of 
spreading  the  truth,  so  that,  with  pen  and  tongue,  we 
have  in  some  measure,  filled  up  the  year  in  efforts  to 
save  our  fellow  mortals,  and  glorify  our  heavenly 
Father  through  Jesus  Christ.  We  have,  however, 
fallen  far  short  even  of  our  own  views  of  the  enter- 
prise, grandeur,  and  success  of  the  original  preachers 
and  professors  of  the  gospel ;  and,  can,  therefore,  do 
nothing  more  for  the  present  than  promise,  that  if, 
in  the  judgment  of  our  brethren,  we  have  not  in  our 
labors  and  writings  done  all  that  might  be  expected 
to  pit)pagate  and  unfold  the  faith  and  hope  of  the 
gospel,  we  shall  endeavor,  by  the  help  of  God  our 
heavenly  Father,  to  do  better  for  the  time  to  come." 


2.6o  LIFE  OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCOTT. 


CHAPTER    XVII. 

Discourse  on  the  Holy  Spirit — Extracts    from    the    Discourse — Opinions 
with  regard  to  its  merits — Review  of  the  Rev.  S.  W.  Lynd's  pamphlet. 

AT  this  period,  Elder  Scott  revised  and  republished, 
in  the  "Evangelist,"  a  remarkable  discourse  on 
the  Holy  Spirit,  which  is  deserving  of  mention. 
The  work  of  the  Holy  Spirit  for  years  had  been  the 
subject  of  controversy  between  the  Disciples  and  other 
religious  bodies,  and  also  among  themselves,  and  one 
which  from  its  very  nature  was  extremely  difficult  to 
settle.  It  was  commonly  treated  as  a  proper  subject, 
of  philosophical  inquiry,  to  be  decided  by  reasonings 
with  regard  to  the  faculties  and  powers  of  the  human 
mind,  rather  than  by  the  express  teachings  of  the 
Scriptures.  The  result  was  that,  by  some,  conver- 
sion was  regarded  as  the  work  of  the  Spirit  without 
the  Word;  by  others,  as  effected  exclusively  by  the 
Word.  It  was,  indeed,  the  greatest  religious  ques- 
tion of  the  day,  upon  which  the  greatest  possible  con- 
fusion prevailed.  The  theory  of  one  party  made  the 
Word  of  God  a  dead  letter,  and  did  not  scruple  to 
call  it  such,  while  the  opposite  party  laid  so  much 
stress  upon  the  Word,  that  they  were  understood  as 
regarding  the  Word  and  Spirit  identical.  One  party 
would  advocate  a  direct  contact  between  the  mind 
of  man  and  the  Spirit  of  God,  and  that  the  impres- 
sion resulting  from  this  contact  was  the  converting 


jrOA'A'  OF  I'lIE  HOLY  SPIRIT.  26  I 

and  sanctifying  power,  while  the  other  party  would 
ask,  Of  what  use  or  value  then  is  the  Word  of  God, 
if  impressions  made  upon  the  soul  without  its  agency 
are  saving  and  sanctifying  ?  The  former  view  made 
every  conversion  a  miracle  as  it  was  effected. by  a 
power  that  the  sinner  could  neither  avail  himself  of, 
nor  resist,  as  the  very  desire  for  salvation  must  be 
begotten  in  the  heart  by  the  Spirit  which  effected  it  ; 
and  in  this  view  of  the  case  man  had  no  agency 
whatever  in  his  own  conversion.  The  latter  view 
regarded  all  the  power  of  the  Spirit  as  being  put 
forth  through  the  Word  of  God  alone  ;  and  all 
changes  in  saint  or  sinner,  as  the  result  of  the  light, 
instruction,  and  motives  contained  in  the  Words  of 
Scripture,  and  as  being  accordant  with  the  human 
mind,  heart,  and  will  ;  no  distinction  was  made  be- 
tween the  agent  and  instrument,  but  the  Word  and 
Spirit  were  regarded  as  one  and  the  same. 

These  views  being  in  direct  conflict,  both  could 
not  be  true,  while  both  might  be  false  ;  but,  instead  of 
attempting  to  sustain  either,  or  the  hopeless  task  of 
harmonizing  them,  Mr.  Scott  resolved  to  review  the 
whole  ground,  and  see  if  the  Scriptures  did  not  war- 
rant a  view  different  from  those  generally  entertained, 
and  free  from  the  objections  which  might  be  urged 
against  them.  The  result  of  his  reflections  upon  this 
important  theme  was  an  elaborate  discourse  on  the 
Holy  Spirit,  several  editions  of  which  were  widely 
circulated  in  pamphlet  form. 

The  discourse  was  eagerly  read,  and  had  to  pass 
through  a  most  searching  criticism,  but  it  stood  the 
test ;  the  objections  have  already  been  forgotten,  but  his 
argument,  no  one  has  been  able  to  improve.    The  main 


262  LIFE  OF  ELDER  WALTER  SCOTT. 

points  of  the  discourse  may  be  gathered  from  the  fol- 
lowing extracts  : 

"  '  Wliom  the  world  can  not  receive.' — JOHX  XIV. 

*'  Christianity,  as  developed  in  the  sacred  oracles,  is 
sustained  by  three  divine  missions — the  mission  of  the 
Lord  Jesus,  the  mission  of  the  apostles,  and  the  mission 
of  the  Holy  Spirit ;  these  embassies  are  distinct  in  three 
particulars,  namely,  person,  termination,  and  design.  Like 
the  branches,  flowers,  and  fruit  of  the  same  tree,  they  are, 
indeed,  nearly  and  admirably  related ;  still,  however,  like 
these,  they  are  distinct ;  not  one,  but  three  missions,  con- 
nected like  the  vine,  its  branches  and  clusters  of  grapes. 

''  Of  the  person  sent  on  these  missions :  It  may  suffice  to 
observe  that,  although  the  Scriptures  give  to  Jesus,  the 
apostles,  and  to  the  Holy  Spirit,  the  attitude  of  mission- 
aries, i.  e.,  speak  of  them  as  persons  sent  by  the  Father, 
they  never  speak  of  the  Father  himself  in  such  style.  God 
is  said,  in  the  New  Testament,  to  send  the  Lord  Jesus,  the 
Lord  Jesus  to  send  the  apostles,  and  the  Holy  Spirit  to 
be  sent  by  the  Father  and  the  Son,  but  the  Father  himself 
is  not  said  to  be  sent  by  any  one. 

*'  Of  the  ternii?iation  of  these  missions :  Every  embassy, 
political  or  religious,  must  and  does  end  somewhere ; 
hence,  we  have  political  embassies  to  Spain,  Portugal,  the 
Court  of '  St.  James,  St.  Cloud's,  Petersburgh,  Naples; 
and  we  have  religious  missions  to  Japan,  the  Cape,  Hin- 
doostan,  to  the  Indians,  and  the  South  seas.  If  it  be  in- 
quired then,  in  what  other  respect  these  three  divine  in- 
stitutions differed  from  each  other,  I  answer,  they  had 
distinct  terminations.  Our  Lord  Jesus  was  sent  personally 
to  the  Jewish  nation  and  his  mission  terminated  on  that 
people. 

"The  apostles  were  sent  to  all  the  nations,  and  their 
mission  terminated  accordingly  ;  but  the  Holy  Spirit  was 


DISCO CKSE  OX  THE  HOLY  SPIRIT.  263 

sent  only  to  the  church  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and,  so 
far  as  his  gifts  were  concerned,  his  mission  terminated  in 
that  institution. 

"  Of  the  desigji  of  these  missions  :  In  every  embassy  there 
is  something  to  be  accomplished.  We  do  not  send  out 
political  and  religious  embassadors  for  nothing ;  but  for 
the  high  purpose  of  negotiation  ;  and,  therefore,  it  will  be 
seen,  in  the  following  discourse,  that  God,  in  sending  forth 
His  Son,  the  apostles,  and  the  Holy  Spirit,  had  a  great 
design ;  also,  that  the  ends  or  designs  of  the  embassies 
of  these  functionaries  were  all  distinct  from  each  other. 

'*  In  fine,  it  will  be  shown,  in  regard  to  the  Holy  Spirit, 
that  he  was  not  sent  to  dwell  in  any  man  in  order  to  make 
him  a  Christian,  but  because  he  had  already  become  a 
Christian  ;  or,  in  other  terms,  it  will  be  proved  that  the 
Holy  Spirit  is  not  given  to  men  to  make  them  believe  and 
obey  the  gospel,  but  rather  because  they  have  believed  and 
obeyed  the  gospel. 

"The  propositions  of  the  discourse  are  as  follows: 

"Proposition  i.  Jesus  Christ  was,  personally,  a  mis- 
sionary only  to  the  Jezus ;  his  mission  tertnijiated  on  that 
people,  and  the  designs  of  it  were  to  proclaim  the  gospel,  and 
to  teach  those  among  them  who  believed  it. 

"Proposition  2.  The  apostles  were  missionaries  to  the 
whole  world;  their  7nission  terininated  on  mankind,  and  its 
design  was  to  proclaim  the  gospel,  and  to  teach  those  among 
men  who  believed  it. 

"  Proposition  3.  The  Holy  Spirit  was  a  missionary  to  the 
church;  His  missio?i  terminated  on  that  institution,  and  the 
designs  of  it  were  to  comfort  the  disciples,  glorify  Jesus  Christ 
as  the  true  Messiah,  and  to  convince  the  world  of  sin,  right- 
eousness, and  judgment.^  ^ 

He  showed  clearly  from  the  labors  of  Christ,  while 
on  earth,  which  were  in  strict  accordance  with  his 


264  LIFE  OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCOTT. 

words,  "  I  am  not  sent,  but  to  the  lost  sheep  of  the 
house  of  Israel,"  that  his  mission  began  and  termi- 
nated with  that  people.  In  like  manner,  from  the  com- 
mission, it  was  evident  that  the  mission  of  the  apos- 
tles was  to  all  nations — the  unconverted — and  its 
design,  their  conversion  by  preaching  the  gospel ; 
from  which  it  follows  that  the  mission  of  the  Spirit 
was  not  to  the  world  or  the  unconverted,  as,  in  that 
case,  its  mission  and  that  of  the  apostles  would  have 
been  the  same  ;  but  that  its  mission  was  as  distinct 
from  theirs,  as  theirs  was  from  that  of  the  Savior  ; 
that  it  was  to  the  church,  and  not  to  the  world,  since 
Christ  had  said  of  the  Spirit,  *^  whom  the  world  can 
not  receive."     This  point  he  argues  as  follows  : 

*'  The  idea  of  the  Spirit  being  a  missionary  to  the 
church  affords  a  new  and  striking  argument  against  that 
immoral  and  fatal  maxim  in  popular  theology,  namely, 
that  special  spiritual  operations  are  necessary  to  faith !  In 
this  discourse  it  is  shown  that  the  church  was  formed  be- 
fore any  of  her  members  received  the  Spirit ;  that  after 
the  church  was  formed  the  Spirit  was  sent  into  her  on  the 
day  of  Pentecost ;  finally,  that  men  did  not  and  do  not 
receive  this  Spirit  to  make  them  disciples,  but  because  they 
were  or  are  disciples;  in  a  word,  it  is  shown,  from  the 
express  words  of  Christ  himself,  that  no  man  that  does 
not  first  of  all  believe  the  gospel  can  receive  the  Holy 
Spirit.  '  If  any  man  thirst,'  says  Christ,  'let  him  come  unto 
me  and  drink,  and  out  of  his  belly  shall  flow  rivers  of  liv- 
ing water.'  Now,  what  does  this  mean  ;  that  the  Holy 
Spirit  will  be  given  to  unbelievers?  No.  John,  the 
Apostle,  explains  it  as  follows :  '  This  he  spake  of  the 
Spirit  which  was  to  be  given  to  those  who  believed,  for  the 
Spirit  was  not  yet  given  (Jo  believers)  because  that  Jesus 
was  not  yet  glorified.' 


DISCOURSE  ON  THE  HOLY  SPIRIT.  265 

"Concerning  the  Holy  Spirit,  the  Redeemer  said, 
further:  *  It  is  expedient  for  you  that  I  go  away;  for  if 
I  go  not  away,  the  Comforter  will  not  come ;  but  if  I  go 
away,  I  will  send  him  to  you;'  again,  'whom  the  world 
can  not  receive.'  I  will  send  him  to  you  ;  to  you,  my  dis- 
ciples ;  now,  the  number  of  disciples  must  have  been  .at 
this  time  very  great,  for  Christ  made  and  baptized,  it  is 
said,  more  than  John  ;  there  were  one  hundred  and  twenty 
present  on  the  day  of  Pentecost,  and  five  hundred  brethren 
beheld  him  at  once  after  his  resurrection,  and  all  these 
were  reckoned  disciples  without  having  received  the  Holy 
Spirit !  But  if  the  Holy  Spirit  had  been  necessary  to  make 
men  repent  and  believe  the  gospel,  then  he  must  have 
come  to  them  before  Jesus  left  the  world ;  and,  conse- 
quently, when  he  went  away  he  could  not  send  him,  from 
the  fact  that  he  had  already  come — I  will  send  him  to  you. 
The  mission  of  the  Spirit,  then,  was  to  those  whom  the 
Redeemer  designated  j*??^,  the  disciples — the  church  which 
he  had  gathered  ;  and  this  institution  is  distinguished  from 
the  world  by  nothing  so  much  as  that  of  receiving  the 
Spirit  through  faith ;  for,  a  prime  reason  why  the  world 
does  not  receive  the  Spirit  is,  that  it  has  no  faith  in  God. 
'  Whom  the  world  can  not  receive,  because  it  seeth  him 
not.*  The  Spirit,  then,  being  received  by  them  who  be- 
lieve, and  the  world  being  endued  with  sense,  and  having 
no  faith,  it  is  impossible  that  he  should  be  received  by  the 
world,  or  that  his  mission  should  be  to  unbelieving  men. 
He  came  to  the  church;  and  there  is  no  instance  on  record 
of  the  Holy  Spirit  transcending  the  limits  of  his  mission, 
or  of  operating  in  a  man  before  faith  to  produce  that  prin- 
ciple in  his  soul. 

''The  doctrine,  then,  alas!  the  too  popular  doctrine, 
which  extends  the  mission  of  the  Spirit  beyond  the  bounds 
of  the  church,  and  teaches  the  world,  which  the  Savior 
says,  ca7i  not  receive  him,  to  sit  and  wait  for  his  internal 
special  operations  to  produce  faith,  is  monstrously  absurd 
23 


266  LIFE  OF  ELDER  WALTER  SCOTT. 

and  impious ;  absurd,  because  it  makes  the  Holy  Spirit  to 
transgress,  by  overreaching  the  limits  of  his  embassy,  which 
is  to  the  church ;  and  impious,  because  it  makes  him  give 
the  lie  to  the  Lord  of  Glory,  who  says,  the  world  can  not 
receive  him.  Jesus  said,  '  When  he  is  come  he  will  glorify 
me;'  Would  it  glorify  the  Redeemer's  character  before 
either  angels  or  men  to  make  him  a  liar,  as  the  Spirit 
would  and  must  do,  were  he,  according  to  the  maxims  of 
party  theology,  to  be  received  by  sinners  for  the  purpose 
of  originating  in  them  either  faith  or  repentance?  Let 
ministers  reflect  on  this ;  let  all  professors  reflect  on 
this. 

''That  those  who  obey  the  gospel,  that  is,  believe,  re- 
pent, and  are  baptized,  do  and  must,  by  the  very  nature  of 
the  New  Covenant,  receive  the  Holy  Spirit,  is  made  cer- 
tain by  a  '  thus  saith  the  Lord; '  but  that  men  who  hear 
the  gospel,  can  not  believe  and  obey  it,  is  wholly  human, 
and  is  supported  by  nothing  but  a  ^  thus  saith  the  ??ian^ — 
the  preacher — the  Episcopalian,  the  Presbyterian,  the 
Methodist,  the  Baptist,  the  Quaker;  for,  however  these 
parties  differ  in  other  matters,  they  are  all  alike  here ;  in 
this  doctrine  they  are  one !  And  judge  for  yourself, 
reader,  whether  such  among  us,  as  are  charged  with  the 
office  of  public  instructors  in  the  Christian  religion,  are 
not  chargeable  with  the  grossest  perversity,  when  we  re- 
fuse to  announce  the  great  things  of  salvation  in  the  sound 
words  of  the  New  Testament,  and  cry  aloud  that  our  au- 
dience can  not  believe  and  obey  the  gospel,  on  the  testi- 
mony of  the  Holy  Scriptures,  without  special  operations 
from  the  Holy  Spirit,  when  Almighty  God  has  caused  it  to 
be  written  in  living  characters  on  the  intelligible  page  of 
his  never-dying  word,  'Repent,  and  be  baptized,  every  one 
of  you,  in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ,  for  the  remission  of 
your  sins,  and  you  shall  receive  the  gift  of  the  Holy 
Spirit: 

"  The  Spirit,  then,  can  do  nothing  in  religion,  nothing 


DISCOURSE  ON  THE  IIOL  Y  SPIRIT.  267 

in  Christianity,  but  by  the  members  of  the  body  of  Christ. 
Even  the  Word  of  God — the  Scriptures — have  been  given 
by  members  filled  with  this  Spirit ;  they  spake  as  the  Spirit 
gave  them  utterance.  But  mark,  reader,  that  there  is  no 
member  of  the  body  of  Christ  in  whom  the  Holy  Spirit 
dwelleth  not ;  for  it  will  hold  as  good  at  the  end  of  the 
world  as  it  does  now,  and  it  holds  as  good  now  as  it  did 
on  the  day  of  Pentecost  and  afterward,  that  '  //  any  man 
have  not  the  Spirit  of  Ch?ist  he  is  none  of  his.'  If,  there- 
fore, the  Spirit  convinces  the  world  of  sin,  or  glorifies 
Jesus,  it  is  all  through  the  agency  of  the  members  of  the 
body  of  Christ,  whom  he  fills — the  church.  Hence,  the 
indispensable  duty  of  all  disciples  being  led  by  the  Spirit 
of  God,  with  which  they  are  sealed,  and  of  holding  forth, 
in  the  language  of  the  New  Testament,  the  gospel ;  for, 
where  there  are  no  Christians,  or  where  Christians  do  not 
perform  their  duties,  there  are  no  conversions — as  in  Tartary, 
India,  some  parts  of  Europe,  and  so  forth.  But  wherever 
there  are  Christians,  Christians  who  hold  forth  the  gospel 
in  the  sound  words  used  on  Pentecost  by  the  apostles, 
there  will  always  be  some  conversions,  more  or  less." 

Certain  objections  arose  against  the  views  he  pre- 
sented, not  from  any  defect  in  them,  but  in  conse- 
quence of  the  erroneous  views  which  had  been  en- 
tertained previously  on  this  subject.  He  mentions 
those  objections,  and  thus  disposes  of  them  : 

^^  ^  If  the  Holy  Spirit  does  not  eiiter  the  soul  of  the  si?i- 
ner,  how  can  he  convince  him  ? '  I  answer,  that  God 
convinces  us  as  we  convince  one  another — by  truth  and 
argument.  Can  the  Holy  Spirit  do  nothing  for  a  person 
unless  he  enters  that  person?  Did  he  glorify  Christ  by 
entering  him,  or  by  enlightening  the  apostle  on  his  char- 
acter ?  As,  then,  the  Spirit  glorified  Christ  without  enter- 
ing him,  so  he  can  convince  sinners  without  entering  and 


268  LIFE  OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCOTT. 

dwelling  in  them.  Let  preachers,  and  all  who  believe, 
hold  forth  the  word  of  the  Spirit  to  the  people ;  let  them 
forbear  calling  it  a  dead  letter,  and  the  Spirit  will  soon 
convince  sinners  of  sin.     But 

*'It  is  objected,  ^  If  the  Spirit  does  not  go  into  the  souls 
of  sinners,  and  strive  with  them,  how  ea?t  they  be  said  to 
resist  the  Spirit?'  Will  the  reader  allow  the  God  of 
heaven  to  answer  this  objection  ?  Then  turn  over  to 
Nehemiah,  ix :  30.  There  we  are  told  that  the  people  re- 
sisted the  Spirit  of  God,  speaking  to  them  by  the  mouth 
of  the  prophets.  The  spirit  resisted  was  in  the  prophet, 
not  in  the  people.  The  spirit  of  the  devil  was  in  the 
people. 

"*  We  can  7iot  believe  of  ourselves!'  Answer.  God 
does  not  require  you  to  believe  of  yourselves.  Listen  to 
the  Spirit  speaking  to  you  in  the  mouth  of  the  apostles 
and  prophets,  and  he  will  afford  you  abundant  evidence 
by  which  you  can  believe,  and  must  believe,  on  Jesus,  or 
be  forever  condemned.  '-  He  that  believeth  not  shall  be 
damned.' 

"  '  If  faith  do  not  co??ie  by  the  Spirit,  how  does  it  come  ?  ' 
The  apostle  says,  (Romans  x.)  ^  Faith  cometh  by  hear- 
i?ig;'  and  who  are  you  that  dare  to  say  it  cometh  any 
other  way? 

'^  '  £>o  7iot  the  Scriptures  say  that  faith  is  the  gift  of 
God?  '  A  field  of  wheat  is  the  gift  of  God  ;  and,  as  God 
has  his  own  way  of  bestowing  his  gifts,  both  natural  and 
religious,  so  if  we  ask  how  the  gift  of  faith  cometh,  the 
answer  is,  It  cometh  by  hearing  the  Word  of  God. 

"  ^  But  if  faith  cometh  by  hearing,  why  have  not  all 
faith  ? '  The  Lord  Jesus  shows  that  men  are  blinded 
and  hardened  by  seeking  and  indulging  in  personal,  family, 
political,  and  professional  distinctions.  'How,'  says  he, 
*  can  you  believe  in  me,  when  you  seek  honor  one  of  another, 
and  seek  not  the  honor  which  cometh  from  God  only.' 

'"'Ihe    Word  is   called   ''the  Sword  of  the   Spirit;'' 


DISCOURSE  ON  THE  II OL  V  SPIRIT.  269 

and  must  7iot  the  Spirit  use  his  own  Sword?'  Some  swords 
are  called  'Spanish  blades,' — not  because  Spaniards  use 
them,  but  because  they  make  them.  So  the  Word  is 
called  *  the  Sword  of  the  Spirit ' — not  because  he  uses  it, 
but  because  he  made  it  for  the  saints  to  use ;  hence,  the 
apostle,  in  Ephesians,  6th  chapter,  bids  us  take  the  '  Sword 
of  the  Spirit '  that  we  might  defend  ourselves  with  it 
against  our  spiritual  enemies. 

*'  */j-  //  nowhere  said  in  Scripture  that  the  Spirit  must 
convince  us  of  sin  ?'  Yes  ;  but  we  have  already  seen  how 
he  does  this,  namely,  by  the  Word  of  God,  preached — not 
by  going  into  the  souls  of  sinners. 

^^  ^  Is  not  a  ''^manifestation  of  the  Spirit  given  to  every 
man  to  profit  withaW  '  Yes,  to  every  man  not  out  but  in 
the  church.  This  is  in  the  7th  verse  of  the  12th  chapter, 
2d  Corinthians — one  which  is,  perhaps,  more  abused  by 
some  ignorant  people  than  any  other  supposed  to  relate  to 
this  subject.  The  apostle  is,  in  that  chapter,  discoursing 
of  church  affairs  ;  and  to  give  an  air  of  universality  to  a 
saying  which  has  a  special  reference  to  men  in  the  church 
is  most  injudicious.  According  to  some  people's  mode  of 
quoting  this  Scripture,  there  is  no  advantage  in  being  a 
disciple  of  Christ ;  for,  in  their  judgment,  the  Holy  Spirit 
is  given  to  Jew,  Turk,  and  even  idolaters  ! 

"This  is  the  true  state  of  the  case;  some  of  the  disci- 
ples in  the  church  at  Corinth  were  becoming  vain  of  the 
high  spiritual  gifts  which  they  had  received  on  obeying  the 
gospel.  The  apostle  lets  them  understand  that  these  gifts 
were  given  not  to  bring  personal  honor  to  the  man  that 
received  them,  but  for  the  good  of  the  whole  church ;  and 
by  the  best  translators  the  verse  is  rendered  thus :  '  A  por- 
tion of  the  Spirit  is  given  to  every  man  (disciple)  for  the 
profit  of  the  whole  '  (church). 

"  '  Did  not  the  Lord  open  Lydid' s  hearts '  Yes  ;  and  the 
Lord  opens  every  heart  that  is  opened  at  all.  But  the 
question  here  is,  How  does  he  open  the  heart?     Does  it 


2/0  LIFE   OF  ELDKR   WALTER  SCOTT. 

say  that  the  Lord  opened  Lydia's  heart  by  the  influence 
of  the  Holy  Spirit?  No.  Then  don't  you  say  so,  lest 
God  reprove  you  for  adding  to  his  word,  and  you  be 
found  a  liar.  Lydia  had  met.  with  certain  other  women, 
on  a  Sabbath,  to  worship  God  inthe  place  where  prayer 
was  wont  to  be  made  ;  and,  as  all  present  were  Jews,  the 
apostle,  no  doubt,  went  to  work  with  them  as  he  did  with 
other  Jews ;  that  is,  '  he  reasoned  with  them  out  of  the 
Scriptures.'  This  was  the  very  way  which  the  Spirit  de- 
monstrated to  all  Jews  that  Jesus  was  Christ ;  and  this  is 
the  way  by  which  the  hearts  of  the  Jews  were  opened  to 
attend  to  the  things  spoken  by  the  apostles." 

The  ^*  Word  alone  "  party  were  ready  to  admit  that 
the  gospel  vv^as  the  great  instrumentality  in  the  con- 
version of  the  world,  the  power  of  God  unto  salva- 
tion to  every  one  that  believed  it,  as  it  accorded  with 
the  course  pursued  by  the  apostles,  who,  as  is  evident 
from  the  account  of  their  labors  in  the  book  of  Acts, 
preached  the  gospel  wherever  they  went,  and  promised 
the  Spirit  to  those  who  became  obedient ;  and  they 
saw,  moreover,  that  the  gospel  which  they  preached 
^vas  never  called  the  Spirit :  and  the  "  Spirit  alone  " 
party  were  astounded  at  the  discovery  that  Christ 
had  said  that  the  world  could  not  receive  the  Spirit, 
and  that  conversions  never  were  known  to  precede  a 
knowledge  of  the  Word,  but  invariably  followed  the 
preaching.  Mr.  Scott  had  thrown  away  all  theories 
and  speculations  in  regard  to  the  matter,  and  fal- 
len back  upon- the  Scriptures;  and,  hence,  those  who 
reverenced  the  Word  of  God  had  little  difficulty  in 
accepting  what  now,  in  the  light  of  that  Word,  was 
so  clear.  Elder  B.  U.  Watkins  says  of  this  discourse  : 
"  It  threw  light  on  an  obscure  subject,  and  acted  like 


COMMEXDA'J'/OXS  OF  THE  DISCO URSK.         2/1 

oil  upon  the  troubled  waters.  His  positions  were 
well  taken,  and  though  they  had  to  pass  through 
an  ordeal  of  criticism,  as  the  manner  then  was,  few 
thinkers  of  to-day  will  call  them  in  question.  But 
obvious  and  self-evident  as  they  now  appear,  they 
were  then  dug  out  of  the  rubbish  of  ages  with  great 
labor  and  careful  investigation." 

Dr.  Richardson  says  in  regard  to  it :  "  It  was  the 
first  time  it  had  been  publicly  brought  forward  in  so 
particular  a  manner,  and  the  clear  scriptural  evidence 
presented  in  the  discourse  was  generally  received  as 
decisive  of  the  questions  involved."  Alexander  Camp- 
bell had  prior  to  this  time  presented  his  views  on  this 
vexed,  yet  deeply-important  subject,  in  his  "  Dialogue 
on  the  Holy  Spirit,"  which  was  published  in  the  first 
edition  of  his  w^ork  called,  **  Christianity  Restored  ;" 
this  was  omitted  in  subsequent  editions  of  the  work, 
and  he  gave  the  following  earnest  commendation  of 
the  views  of  his  friend.  "Brother  Walter  Scott,"  said 
he,  "who,  in  the  fall  of  1827,  arranged  the  several 
items  of  faith,  repentance,  baptism,  remission  of 
sins,  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  eternal  life,  restored  them  in 
this  order  to  the  church  under  the  title  of  the  ancient 
gospel,  and  successfully  preached  it  for  the  conver- 
sion of  the  world,  has  written  a  discourse  on  the  fifth 
point,  viz.,  the  Holy  Spirit,  which  presents  the  sub- 
ject in  such  an  attitude  as  can  not  fail  to  make  all  who 
read  it  understand  the  views  entertained  by  us,  and, 
as  we  think,  taught  by  the  apostles  in  their  writings. 
We  can  recommend  to  all  the  Disciples  this  discourse 
as  most  worthy  of  a  place  in  their  families  ;  because  it 
perspicuously,  forcibly,  and  with  a  brevity  favorable 
to  an  easy  apprehension  of  its  meaning,  oresents  the 


272  LIFE  OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCOTT. 

subject  to  the  mind  of  the  reader.  Our  opponents, 
too,  who  are  continually  misrepresenting,  and  many 
of  them,  no  doubt,  misconceiving,  our  views  on  this 
subject,  if  they  would  be  advised  by  us,  we  would 
request  to  furnish  themselves  with  a  copy,  that  they 
may  be  better  informed  on  this  topic  ;  and,  if  they 
should  still  be  conscientiously  opposed,  that  they  may 
oppose  what  we  teach,  and  not  a  phantom  of  their 
own  creation." 

The  Rev.  Samuel  W.  Lynd,  who  was  regarded  as 
one  of  the  foremost  Baptist  ministers  in  the  West,  for 
ability  and  learning,  resided  at  this  time  in  Cincin- 
nati, between  whom  and  Mr.  Scott  a  controversy 
took  place,  in  consequence  of  a  pamphlet  on  the  sub- 
ject of  baptism,  published  by  the  former.  While 
agreeing  perfectly  with  regard  to  the  mode,  they 
were  far  asunder  with  regard  to  the  design  of  the  ordi- 
nance. Mr.  Scott  reviewed  the  pamphlet  in  the 
"  Evangelist,"  making  the  views  of  Mr.  Lynd  the 
subject  of  a  good  natured,  but  searching,  criticism, 
from  which  we  make  a  few  extracts. 

"Mr.  Lynd  delivers  himself  on  the  import  and  intent 
of  baptism  as  follows  : 

"This  ordinance  is  in  no  part  of  the  divine  Word  as- 
sociated with  the  forgiveness  of  sins,  unless  it  be  supposed  to 
be  thus  associated  in  one  single  passage  where  Peter,  on  the 
day  of  Pentecost,  addressing  inquirers,  says:  'Repent,  and 
be  baptized,  every  one  of  you,  in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ, 
for  the  remission  of  sins,  and  ye  shall  receive  the  gift  of  the 
Holy  Spirit.'  This  passage  has  been  urged.  To  this  three 
observations  may  be  offered.  We  shall  let  the  reader  upon 
Mr.  Lynd's  three  observations  immediately.  In  the  mean- 
time, he  will  please  take  notice  to  Mr.  Lynd's  phraseology. 


DR.  LYND  REVIEWED.  273 

^one  single  passage.'  Does  the  Rev.  gentleman  imagine 
that  it  detracts  either  from  the  signification  or  authority  of 
God's  sayings,  that  they  are  found  only  once  in  the  Holy 
Scriptures?  Was  death  associated  with  the  eating  of  the 
forbidden  fruit  in  more  passages  of  the  Old  Testament  than 
one?  No;  it  was  said  only  once — 'In  the  day  that  thou 
eatest  thereof  thou  shalt  surely  die.'  I  should  like  to  hear 
Mr.  Lynd  make  three  observations  upon  the  above  pas- 
sage ;  no  doubt,  he  could,  with  infinite  sagacity,  prove  that 
death  was  '  in  no.  part  of  the  divine  Word  associated  with 
transgression,  unless  it  be  supposed  to  be  associated  in 
this  one  single  passage,'  spoken  by  God  in  Paradise  !  *  In 
the  day  that  thou  eatest  thereof  thou  shalt  surely  die.' 
There  are  many  important  matters  which  are  found  in  only 
one  single  passage.  It  was  said  only  once,  *  Let  all  the 
angels  of  God  worship  him.'  On  Mr.  Lynd's  profound 
philosophy  we  might  have  another  rebellion  in  heaven ; 
and  the  angels  say  it  was  commanded  us  only  in  one  single 
passage  to  obey  Messiah  !  Presbyterians  say  it  is  found 
only  in  one  single  passage  in  the  New  Testament,  'He 
that  believeth  and  is  baptized  shall  be  saved ; '  and  on  that 
account  they  think,  like  Mr.  Lynd,  that  the  passage  is 
worthy  of  three  observations. 

"The  first  observation  is,  this  Scripture  can  not  mean 
what  it  says.  Second,  what  does  it  mean?  Third,  we 
don't  know  what  it  means;  or,  in  the  words  of  Mr.  Lynd, 
its  meaning  is  doubtful ;  that  is,  it  has  no  meaning  !  But 
here  comes  the  triple  comment — the  three  observations  of 
Mr.  Lynd. 

1.  '"The  passage  is  capable  of  transposition.  Repent, 
every  one  of  you,  for  the  remission  of  sins,  and  be  baptized 
in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ.  This  precisely  corresponds 
with  other  places,  where  remission  of  sins  is  immediately 
connected  with  repentance,  and  not  with  baptism. 

2.  "  'But  should  this  transposition  be  opposed,  the  pas- 
sage is  capable  of  a  different  rendering.     Instead  of  saying 


274  LIl-E   01'  ELDER    WALTER  SCOTT. 

for  file  remission  of  sins,  we  miglit  read  it — the  relinquish- 
ments, or  putting  away,  of  sin,  and  this  translation  would 
agree  precisely  with  the  fact ;  for  by  baptism  we  profess  to 
put  away  sin,  and  to  live  a  new  life;  and,  more  than  this, 
it  would  accord  with  the  primitive  and  ordinary  meaning 
of  the  word. 

3.  ^'  'The  language  of  Peter  is,  to  say  the  least,  doubtful, 
as  it  stands  in  our  translation ;  and,  therefore,  ought  not  to 
be  made  the  proof  of  a  foundation  principle  in  religion. 
If  repentance  and  remission  of  sins  are  associated  in  other 
places  (and  this  is  the  fact),  the  most  that  Peter's  words 
could  be  employed  for,  would  be  to  stand  as  collateral 
testimony  to  this  fact.' 

I.  ^' ^  Capable  of  trafisposition  :*  to  be  sure,  it  is  per- 
fectly capable  of  transposition ;  but  the  matter  on  the  title 
page  of  Mr.  Lynd's  pamphlet  is  also  capable,  or,  at  least, 
susceptible  of  transposition.  Let  us  try  transposition  in 
the  writings  of  Mr.  Lynd,  whose  name,  on  the  title  page, 
occurs  immediately  after  the  Savior's,  and  then,  instead  of 
*  Baptism  a  divine  institution,  and  worthy  the  serious  re- 
gard of  all  who  reverence  the  authority  of  Jesus  Christ,'  we 
have  '  Baptism  a  divine  institution,  and  worthy  the  serious 
regard  of  all  who  reverence  the  authority  of  Samuel  W. 
Lynd.'  The  apostle  says  to  the  Romans:  'Now,  I  be- 
seech you,  brethren,  mark  them  which  cause  divisions  and 
offenses  contrary  to  the  doctrine  which  ye  have  learned, 
and  avoid  them.  For  they  that  are  such,  serve  not  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ,  but  their  own  bellies.'  What  a  happy 
vehicle  of  error  some  folks  could  find  in  Mr.  Lynd's  trick 
of  transposition  to  carry  them  out  of  the  meaning  of  the 
above  passage.  How  well  it  would  become  some  folks  to 
say,  the  passage  is  a  single  one,  and  capable  of  transposi- 
tion, thus:  'For  they  that  are  such,  serve  not  their  own 
bellies,  but  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ !'  But  what  a  silly  tinker 
of  the  Holy  Word  of  God  our  author  makes ;  he  would,  by 
transposition,  connect  remission  of  sins  with  repentance; 


DR.  LYND  REVIEWED.  ?75 

but  in  no  wise  with  baptism.  Now  is  the  man  who  onl)-  re- 
pents more  deserving  of  forgiveness  than  the  man  wlio  both 
repents  and  is  baptized  ?  The  gospel  of  Christ  assures  us 
that  remission  of  sins  is  not  absolutely  connected  with 
either  faith,  repentance,  or  baptism  alone,  but  that  the 
whole  of  them  is  expected  of  him  who  is  a  candidate  for 
pardon  by  the  blood  of  the  Lamb — the  precious  blood  of 
the  Lamb. 

2.  "'72?  the  relinquishment  of  sin.'  Let  us  attend  to  Mr. 
Lynd's  second  effort  to  get  rid  of  the  plain  sayings  of  God. 
'  Instead  of  saying  for  the  remission  of  si?is,  we  might  read 
it — to  the  relinquishmeiit  or  putting  away  of  sin. '  Might  read 
it!  For  mercy's  sake,  Mr.  Lynd,  let  us  read  it  as  it  stands; 
for  if  it  be  bad  theology  as  it  came  out  of  Peter's  mouth,  it  is 
ten  times  worse,  as  it  comes  out  of  yours.  Your  theology  is 
this;  you  would  have  men  forgiven  their  sins  when  they 
repent,  but  not  relinquish  their  sins  until  they  are  bap- 
tized ;  thus,  repentance  is  for  the  forgiveness  of  sins, 
and  baptism  the  relinquishment  of  them.  So  in  making  a 
Christian,  Mr.  Lynd  would  have  the  person  pardoned 
before  he  relinquished  or  put  away  sifis. 

'''Now,  Rev.  Sir,  I  am  not  ashamed  to  say  that  the  gospel 
which  I  have  learned  from  the  New  Testament,  teaches  the 
very  reverse  of  your  theology — it  teaches  men,  first,  to  put 
away  sin  by  repentance,  and  then  to  be  baptized  for  remis- 
sion ;  you  have  just  put  the  cart  before  the  horse  in  this 
matter  of  relinquishment ;  you  have,  by  transposition,  put 
the  one  where  the  other  should  be — pardon  for  reforma- 
tion, and  reformation  for  pardon. 

3 .  "  '  The  language  of  Peter  is,  to  say  the  least,  doubtful,  'etc. 
Well,  now.  Sir,  have  you  made  Peter's  language  less  doubt- 
ful by  what  you  have  said?  Can  I  understand,  by  all  the 
use  which  you  have  made  of  transposition  and  definition, 
whether  I  am  pardoned  when  reformed,  or  reformed  when 
baptized?  No,  sir ;  an  angel  could  not  tell  what  you  would 
have  the  passage  really  mean,  though  a  fool  might  see  that 


2/6  LIFE  OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCOTT. 

you  would  have  it  mean  any  thing  but  what  it  says:  ^ Be 
baptized,  eve?y  one  of  you,  in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ,  for 
the  remission  of  sins. 

This  called  forth  a  reply  more  spirited  than  cour- 
teous, which  elicited  a  rejoinder,  keen  and  clear,  as  fol- 
lows : 

'^  In  relation  to  your  criticism,  on  the  38th  verse  of  the 
2d  chapter  of  the  Acts,  it  is  deemed  sufficient  to  have  remon- 
strated, as  I  have  already  done,  that  the  transposition, 
which  it  inculcates,  is  discountenanced  alike  by  syntax  and 
by  the  canons  of  a  just  scriptural  criticism.  Grammatical 
transposition  is,  in  the  case,  of  no  value ;  critical  transposi- 
tion is  absurd  ;  for  a  rule  is  employed  primarily  to  change 
the  sense  which  should  be  employed  primarily  to  ascertain 
the  true  reading.  Had  you  said  that  the  amendment  you 
proposed  was  sustained  by  all,  or  many,  or  even  a  few,  of 
the  most  ancient  MSS,  or,  that  the  fathers,  or  some  com- 
mentator, paraphrast,  divine,  or  translator,  had  given  your 
sense  to  the  passage,  we  could  have  borne  with  you,  and 
would  have  inquired  into  the  truth  of  what  you  offered,  but 
to  give  it  us  in  the  form  of  a  mere  ipse  dixit,  as  you  have 
done,  is  insufferable.  I  aver  that  there  is  neither  politeness 
nor  modesty  in  such  a  procedure.  Do  you,  Sir,  perceive 
how  the  case  stands  with  yourself  in  relation  to  the  whole 
religious  world  now?  The  Greeks,  Romans,  and  Episco- 
palians, '  baptize  for  the  remission  of  sins,'  and  their  com- 
mon creed  is — '  I  believe  in  one  baptism  for  the  remission  of 
sins.'  Yet  you,  in  opposition  to  all  their  faith  and  wisdom, 
aver,  that  '  this  ordinance  is  in  no  part  of  the  divine  Word 
associated  with  the  forgiveness  of  sins,'  save  one,  and  in 
this  one  you  have  attempted  to  show  that  the  connection 
is  not  real,  but  only  apparent ;  and  that,  while  it  reads, 
*  Be  baptized,  every  one  of  you,  in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ, 
for  the  remission  of  sins,'  it  ought  to  be  understood,  '  Re- 


DR.  L  \  \XD  RE  J  'IE  WED.  2'J'J 

pent,  every  one  of  you,  for  the  remission  of  sins !  '  The 
Presbyterians,  also,  and  even  the  Baptists,  recognize  the 
connection  of  baptism  and  remission  as  being  scriptural, 
and  the  former  declare  it  to  be  both  the  *  sign  and  seal 
of  the  remission  of  sins.'  Have  the  Greeks,  Romans,  and 
Protestants,  then,  built  their  whole  faith  in  this  matter  on 
a  point — on  a  single  passage?  Yes,  says  Mr.  Lynd,  bap- 
tism and  remission  can  be  supposed  to  be  thus  associated 
only  '  in  one  single  passage  !  '  Pardon  me,  dear  sir,  but  I  am 
forcibly  struck  with  the  likeness  which  your  presenr  course 
bears  to  that  of  him  who  plays  at  '  Blind  Man's  Buff.'  You 
do  not  see  what  you  are  about ;  you  are  not  aware  how 
much  is  involved  in  your  criticism.  It  is  not  now  Mr. 
Lynd  against  Walter  Scott,  and  those  who,  like  him,  bap- 
tize for  the  remission  of  sins,  but  it  is  Mr.  Lynd  against 
the  whole  religious  world — the  Greek,  Roman,  and  Pro- 
testant world  ! 

'"//z  our  translation:'  You  say  'Peter's  word's  are 
doubtful  as  they  stand  in  our  translation.'  Then,  I  say, 
they  must  be  doubtful  as  they  stand  in  the  Greek  transla- 
tion, for  they  stand  in  both  translations  alike.  But  you 
evidently  imply  that  they  are  not  doubtful  in  the  Greek ; 
therefore,  I  say  they  are  not  doubtful  in  the  English, 
for  they  are  the  same,  both  in  Greek  and  English.  See- 
ing, then,  they  are  alike,  they  are  either  both  right  or 
both  wrong.  If  they  are  both  wrong,  then  they  must  be 
put  right  by  substituting  an  artificial  order  for  a  natural 
one;  and  then  it  follows  that  an  artificial  arrangement  of 
the  words  in  a  sentence  is  better  fitted  for  communicating 
to  us  the  sense  of  it  than  a  natural  order,  which  is  absurd. 
Are  they,  then,  both  right?  I  answer,  they  are  both  right, 
because  they  are  both  natural,  and  both  alike  in  sense  and 
syntax.  We  have  the  words  in  English,  and  we  have  them 
in  Greek,  as  they  came  from  the  pen  of  their  author,  Luke, 
the  Evangelist.  Mr.  Lynd,  they  tell  an  anecdote  of  a  col- 
lier, who  was  a  Catholic;  the  priest  wished  to  ensnare  him, 


2/8  LIFE  OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCO  FT. 

and  reported  him  as  a  heretic  accordingly:  How,  says  the 
l)ricst,  do  you  believe?  I  believe  as  Mother  Church  be- 
lieves, answered  the  wary  collier.  And  how  do  you  and 
Mother  Church  believe  ?  We  both  believe  alike,  responds 
the  triumphant  collier.  So  of  the  verses  in  question.  If 
it  is  asked  how  the  English  reads?  The  answer  is,  it 
reads  as  the  Greek  reads.  But  how  does  the  Greek  read  ? 
It  reads  as  the  English  does.  And  how  do  both  the  Greek 
and  English  read  ?     Answer.     They  both  read  alike. 

"We  promised  that,  after  having  attended  to  what  Mr. 
Lynd  submitted  on  the  subjects  of  transposition  and  defini- 
tion, to  take  notice  of  his  numerous  questions ;  we  shall 
now  redeem  our  promise,  and  set  down  his  questions  in 
order  numerically,  accompanied  with  such  answers  as  we 
imagine  they  deserve. 

^'Question.  Mr.  Lynd  says  the  passage  is  capable  of 
transposition,  and  asks,  '  have  you  shown  that  it  is  not  ? ' 

"^.  I  have  now  shown  that,  grammatically,  logically, 
and  critically,  it  is  absolutely  incapable  of  transposition ; 
and  that,  if  you  move  it  at  all,  you  do  it  arbitrarily,  pre- 
sumptuously, in  violation  of  the  Greek  and  English  texts, 
and  without  support,  I  believe,  from  any  scholar  or  Chris- 
tian that  has  ever  existed  from  this  day  backward  to  the 
day  of  Pentecost,  when  it  was  spoken. 

'■'Q.  If  remission  is  not  absolutely  connected  with 
either  Faith,  Repentance,  or  Baptism  alone, — let  these  ques- 
tions be  answered.  Is  remission  absolutely  connected  with 
the  observance  of  the  whole  ? 

"^.  Please  listen  to  Peter:  Repent,  and  be  baptized, 
every  one  of  you,  in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ,  for  the  remis- 
sion of  sins.  This  is  connecting  it  absolutely  with  the 
observance  of  the  whole.  But,  anxious  to  make  out  two 
ways,  you  ask. 

"^.   If  the  whole  are  not  obeyed,  can  a  person  be  for-* 
given  who  is  disobedient  to  any  one  of  the  three? 

^'  A.  You  will  acknowledge  that,  witliout  faith  it  is  im- 


DR.  LYKD  REVIEWED.  279 

possible  to  please  God,  and,  consequently,  that  the  person 
who  is  devoid  of  this  first  principle  of  all  revealed  religion 
can  not  be  forgiven  ;  you  will  admit,  also,  that  the  man  who 
believes  and  does  not  repent  must  perish ;  Christ  has  as- 
serted this  even  of  \\\s  professed  disciples.  The  question, 
then,  is,  whether  a  person  who  believes  and  repents  can  be 
forgiven  if  disobedient  when  Christ  commands  him  to  be 
baptized  for  forgiveness.  To  this  we  reply,  that  obedience 
to  Christ  is  essential  and  indispensable  in  the  Christian  re- 
ligion;  for,  at  his  second  appearance  he  will  not  pardon, 
but  destroy  those  '  who  obey  not  the  gospel.'  We  repeat, 
therefore,  the  good  old  way — the  true,  the  holy,  and  the 
just  old  way — is,  that  faith,  repentance,  and  baptism  are 
necessary  to  actual  pardon. 

"Q.  Have  persons  who  have  exercised  repentance 
toward  God,  and  faith  toward  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and 
have  not  been  baptized,  ever  received  the  forgiveness  of 
their  sins? 

^^  A.  What  is  that  to  thee,  or  to  me?  We  know  that  he 
who  believes,  repents,  and  is  baptized,  has  forgiveness  of 
his  past  sins;  and  this  is  enough  for  us  both  as  Christians 
and  servants  of  the  Messiah.  Do  you  beware  of  'resisting  the 
Holy  Spirit'  speaking  to  you,  by  Peter  and  the  other  apostles. 

''Q.  Have  persons  baptized  but  who  neither  repent  nor 
believe,  received  the  remission  of  their  sins  ? 

''A.  You  have  nothing  to  do  with  such  a  question. 
Mind  what  the  Son  of  God  has  said  and  the  apostles  have 
taught  and  practiced  ;  forgiveness  is  consequent  on  faith, 
repentance,  and  baptism ;  but  you  ask, 

"^.  Are  these  '  merely  expected  of  him  who  is  a  candi- 
date for  pardon  ?  ' 

'^A.  This  is  a  silly,  impertinent  question;  these  things 
are  not  only  expected,  but  demanded,  of  every  candidate 
"for  pardon. 

^'Q.  Can  pardon  be  bestowed  without  repentance  and 
faith? 


2 So  LIFE  OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCOTT. 

"A.  It  is  nothing  to  you  or  me  whether  it  can  or  no, 
seeing  that,  with  them,  it  is  bestowed  on  all  who  are  bap- 
tized. 

"Q.  Can  pardon  be  bestowed  without  baptism  ;  and  is  it 
ever  done  under  the  present  dispensation  ? 

^'  A.  These  last  questions  are  substantially  the  same,  and 
scarcely  deserving  of  any  answer.  What  have  we  to  do 
with  what  can  be  or  may  be  ?  The  blessed  Father  can  do, 
and  may  do,  and  has  all  right  to  do,  whatever  he  pleases ;  but 
we  are  only  sure  that  he  will  do  what  he  has  said ;  he  may 
or  may  not  do  what  we  imagine,  think,  or  expect,  but  the 
holiness  of  his  character  and  nature  makes  it  impossible 
for  him  but  do  what  he  has  said.  It  is  impossible  for 
God  to  lie.  The  person  who  believes,  repents,  and  is  bap- 
tized must  be  forgiven.  God  has  ordered  things  thus,  and 
with  any  thing  else  we  have  nothing  to  do.  Truth,  you 
say,  is  the  same  in  February  that  it  was  in  January ;  remem- 
ber that  it  is  also  the  same  now  it  was  on  the  day  of  Pente- 
cost.    Yea,  I  say  unto  you,  Mr.  Lynd,  ;'<?member." 

In  the  above,  Mr.  Scott,  vi^ith  the  utmost  candor 
and  firmness,  sets  forth  the  views  of  his  opponent  as 
clearly  as  he  does  his  own  arguments  ;  there  is  no 
garbling,  no  suppression,  but  an  earnest  desire  to 
reach  the  truth  is  evident  throughout,  and  the  result 
was,  that  upon  the  main  points  at  issue  Mr.  Lynd 
attempted  no  reply. 


THE  CROOKED  MADE  STKAIGIIT.  28  I 


CHAPTER    XVIII. 

Crooked  things  made  straight — The  prominence  he  gave  to  human  respon- 
sibility— In  what  respects  his  work  differed  from  that  of  other  re- 
formers— Apostrophe  to  the  Bible. 

FROM  the  prominence  given  in  the  preceding  pages 
to  the  restoration  of  baptism  to  the  place  it  oc- 
cupied in  the  primitive  age,  the  impression  may  have 
been  made  that  this  was  the  only  matter  of  importance 
that  Mr.  Scotf  rescued  from  the  false  views  enter- 
tained concerning  it,  and  the  disuse  as  a  practical 
element  of  the  gospel  scheme,  into  which  it  had  fallen. 
Had  this  been  all,  it  was  no  light  matter  to  have 
restored  an  ordinance  of  the  gospel  which  had  been 
perverted  to  purposes  certainly  not  contemplated  by 
its  author  :  as  in  infant  sprinkling,  as  almost  univei- 
sally  practiced,  which  was,  indeed,  a  practical  rejec- 
tion of  the  ordinance,  the  change  being  so  complete 
as  to  make  the  mode,  subject,  and  design,  all  differeiU 
from  what  they  were  in  the  hands  of  the  apostles.  In 
the  light  of  the  great  Commission,  faith  and  baptism 
are  manifestly  enjoined  on  none  save  those  who  had 
the  ability  to  believe  the  gospel  and  obey  its  teach- 
ings ;  and  the  manner  in  which  the  apostles  carried 
out  the  Commission,  in  requiring  a  personal  faith  and 
obedience  in  order  to  the  enjoyment  of  the  favor  of 
God,  and  a  place  in  the  Church  of  Christ,  is  proof 
that  infant  sprinkling  is  an  afterthought,  a  human 
addition,  which  abrogates  the  divinely-enjoined  re- 
24 


282  LIFE   OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCO T7\ 

quisite  for  baptism — "If  thou  believest  with  all  thy 
heart  thou  mayest." 

But  even  among  the  Baptists  who  rejected  infant 
baptism,  there  seemed  to  be  no  clear  conception  of 
the  divine  purpose  or  design  of  the  ordinance,  for  the 
form  or  mode  of  which  they  stood  up  so  stoutly.  Con- 
version with  them,  as  with  nearly  all  the  existing  re- 
ligious parties,  did  not  consist  in  believing  and  obey- 
ing the  truth,  but  in  being  made  the  subject  of  an 
indescribable  supernatural  power,  which  resulted  in  the 
regeneration  of  the  soul  that  came  under  its  influence. 
This  they  regarded  as  an  effectual  call — a  being  born 
again — a  being  n^ade  alive  from  the  dead — in  which 
it  was  claimed  that  the  dead  sinner  was  as  passive  as 
Lazarus  when  he  lay  in  the  sepulchre,  and  with  as 
little  power  to  raise  himself  from  the  death  of  sin,  as 
the  brother  of  Mary  and  Martha  to  waken  from  the 
sleep  of  death.  They  received  none  to  baptism  save 
those  who  professed  some  such  change  as  above 
noted  ;  such  they  regarded  as  converted,  as  the  chil- 
dren of  God,  and  yet,  with  strange  inconsistency, 
refused  them  membership  in  their  churches,  and  a 
place  at  the  Lord's  Table  until  they  were  baptized  ; 
thus  practically  denying  that  baptism  was  an  element 
of  conversion,  or  one  of  the  conditions  of  pardon, 
since  conversion  and  pardon  in  their  view  must  pre- 
cede baptism,  thus  making  it  more  diflicult  to  enter 
the  Baptist  church  than  it  was  to  enter  the  kingdom 
of  God.  In  their  view,  men  were  in  Christ  before 
they  were  "baptized  into  Christ,"  regenerated,  or 
born  again,  before  they  were  *'  born  of  water"  as  well 
as  of  spirit,  as  Christ  had  said.  Had  it,  then,  been 
the  beginning  and  end  of  Elder"  Scott's  work  to  set 


THE   CROOKED  MADE  STRAICHT.  28 


this  matter  right — it  was  a  great  and  needed  work  ; 
but  he  claimed  to  have  effected  a  reform  in  many 
other  important  particulars.  His  advocacy  made 
many  other  things  straight  which  had  been  crooked 
before,  and  he  thus  presents  the  various  new  points 
included  in  his  plea. 

*'ist.   It  introduced  Faith  on  Evidence. 

"2d.   Repentance  on  Motive. 

"3d.   Obedience  on  Authority. 

"4th.  It  instituted  a  new  advocacy,  namely,  immediate 
obedience. 

"5th.   It  brought  remission  to  all  souls. 

"  6th.  It  put  the  gift  of  the  Holy  Spirit  where  the  Scrip- 
ture puts  it. 

"  7th.  It  destroyed  in  this  manner  false  standards  which 
men  and  ministers  had  set  up,  and  brought  back  obedience 
to  the  gospel  and  Scriptures  as  the  test  of  remission. 

"8th.  It  discriminated  between  faith  and  hope,  for  the 
people  instinctively  felt  that  their  feelings  were  not  a 
proper  standard  by  which  to  try  their  pardon  and  conver- 
sion. 

"9th.  It  proved  what  had  not  been  seen  before — that 
the  Calvinistic  and  Arminian  systems  were  one  at  last,  and 
could  both  be  resolved  into  arbitrary  spiritual  operations, 
and  it  introduced  in  form  this  Reformation. 

"  loth.  It  restored  the  creed  of  our  religion  to  its  proper 
place  and  eminence  above  all  other  things  in  the  gospel. 

"  nth.  It  harmonized  our  experience  with  Scripture  by 
calling  us  to  duty;  for  the  experience  of  professors  hereto- 
fore was  at  war  with  the  Word  of  God,  and  was  regarded 
as  a  standard  of  conversion. 

"  1 2th.  It  threw  aside  all  those  pompous  but  human 
words  with  wliich  the  gospel  was  loaded — such  as  total 
depravity,    effectual     calling,    special    operations,    special 


284  LIFE  OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCO  FT. 

grace,  general  and  special  atonement,  irresistible  grace, 
common  operations  of  the  Spirit,  special  call,  universal 
salvation,  dead  faith,  dead  letter,  spiritual  regeneration, 
sprinkling,  pouring,  crossing,  sponsors,  eternal  justification, 
initial  justification,  Christian  experience,  spiritual  faith, 
application  of  the  Word  by  the  Spirit,  act  of  faith,  direct 
and  reflex  acts  of  faith,  feeling  pardon;  those  highly  dan- 
gerous technicalities  which  had  long  incumbered  and 
obscured  the  gospel,  and  which  had  put  down  the  language 
of  Scripture,  and  made  the  Word  of  God  of  no  effect ; 
were  wholly  negatived  and  laid  aside. 

"  13th.  It  limited  the  faith  and  love  of  the  gospel  to  a 
person ;  not  a  doctrine  or  a  fact. 

'"  14th.  It  delivered  from  false  centers  of  affection,  as  well 
as  false  centers  of  faith  ;  for  while  it  held  up  the  Lord  Jesus 
in  his  divine  nature  for  faith,  it  also  held  him  up  in  his 
offices  for  affection;  for  it  baptized  men  for  remission  of 
sins  by  his  blood.     A  doctrine  was  no  longer  the  center. 

*'  15th.  It  rescued  us  from  the  dominion  of  false  feelings 
and  false  experiences. 

"i6th.  One  of  the  first  effects  of  the  advocacy  was  to 
give  us  the  most  distinct  apprehension  between  faith  and 
feeling,  fancy  and  experience. 

''17th.  It  was  perfectly  exclusive,  and  refused  to  make 
the  slightest  concession  to  the  value  of  creeds-  making  the 
Bible  the  only  rule  and  guide." 

Nearly  all  these  matters  are  of  prime  importance, 
and  most  of  them  had,  in  a  great  measure,  been  lost 
sight  of;  and,  in  restoring  those  evident  truths,  and 
the  better  practice  which  grew  out  of  a  clear  precep- 
tion  of  them,  he  performed  a  work  for  which  we 
can  not  be  too  grateful.  In  discovering  the  truths 
which  had,  in  a  measure,  been  lost,  he  also  discovered 
the  weakness  of  the  errors  which   had   been  substi- 


XO  CREED  FOR  S/XA'EA'S.  285 

tilled  for  the  foi\i;ottcn  or  neglected  truth.  Of  the 
weakness  and  insufficiency  of  creeds,  and  the  more 
excellent  way  of  the  l^ible,  he  thus  writes : 

*' It  is  a  truth  of  singular  importance  that  sects 
make  no  creeds  for  sinners,  but  for  their  own  party 
church.  Their  creeds  are  intended  to  show  what 
their  church  believes  ;  all  that  they  expect  the  sin- 
ner to  believe  is,  that  he  has  been  the  subject  of 
special  operations  of  the  Spirit,  and  has  been  con- 
verted. The  recovery  of  the  truth,  therefore,  was 
really  the  recovery  of  a  creed  that  belonged  to  the 
world ;  this  discovery  had  a  world-wide  importance, 
as  will  appear  from  the  following  arrangement: 

"  I  St.  The  truth  recovered. 

"  2d.  The  analysis. 

"  3d.  Baptism  for  the  remission  of  sins. 

"4th.  The  invitation  to  immediate  obedience. 

"5th.  Taking  the  converts  and  boldly  baptizing 
them  at  once. 

"The  analysis,  viz.:  Faith,  Repentance,  Baptism, 
Gift  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  the  Resurrection,  was 
'infinitely  important,  because  it  enabled  us  to  see  the 
difference  between  duty  and  blessing,  principle  and 
privilege;  what  God  does  in  the  matter  of  salvation 
for  us,  and  what  he  has  left  us  to  do  for  ourselves. 
Faith,  Repentance,  and  Baptism,  are  duties,  as  every 
person  must  admit  ;  Remission  of  Sins,  the  Gift  01 
the  Holy  Spirit,  and  the  Resurrection  are  blessings, 
as  all  will  allow.  Now,  we  must  not  confound  the 
one  with  the  other — we  must  not  put  blessing  before 
duty.  This  is  the  great  error  of  Protestants  and 
Catholics." 

Underlying  all  the  great  truths  which  he  advocated 


285  LIFE  OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCOTT. 

was  the  thought  of  personal  responsibility,  that  had 
been  weakened  by  false  teaching,  and  which  he  felt 
could  and  should  be  strengthened  by  a  clearer  under- 
standing of  the  truth.  Leaving  that  out  was  one  of 
the  most  mischievous  errors  of  the  prevalent  religious 
teaching  of  the  times,  and  its  restoration  one  of  the 
chief  aims  of  Scott's  labors.     In  regard  to  this  he  says  : 

"Responsibility  to  parents,  teachers,  and  magis- 
trates, is  a  doctrine  of  such  grave  importance,  that 
it  can  not  for  a  moment  be  dispensed  with  in  society. 
Any  thing  tending  to  impair  this  instinct  is  danger- 
ous to  the  morals  and  safety  of  mankind  ;  there  is, 
indeed,  without  it  no  security  to  either  life  or  property. 
It  is  the  very  condition  of  civilization,  progress,  and 
public  tranquillity  ;  wherever  the  love  of  duty  and 
the  dread  of  law  have  created  the  greatest  amount 
of  virtue,  there  public  peace  is  placed  on  the  most 
secure  basis. 

*'  That  there  are  doctrines  abroad,  however,  which 
directly  tend  to  weaken  our  sense  of  responsibility  to 
God,  and,  indirectly,  to  society;  that  fatalism  has 
filled  many  with  religious  resentment ;  that  Calvinism 
has  made  men  who  believed  it  reckless  and  despair- 
ing, either  because  they  saw  not  the  evidence  of  their 
own  election,  or  because  they  were  maddened  to  ven- 
geance against  God  for,  as  they  imagined,  having, 
from  all  eternity,  doomed  them  to  damnation  abso- 
lutely ;  that  is,  as  their  creeds  express  it,  *  without  re- 
spect to  good  or  evil,  but  simply  as  monuments  to  his 
vindictive  justice,'  is  too  well  known  to  require  proof 
The  doctrine  that,  above  all  others,  signalized  the  re- 
inauguration  of  the  original  gospel  was  man's  respon- 
sibility   to    God.     On    tlie  validity    of    this,  a  draft 


HUMAN   RESPONSIBILITY.  2(8/ 

was  made  on  the  faith  of  every  congregation,  and 
every  individual  to  whom  it  was  addressed.  Every 
soul  who  heard  was  called  upon,  on  the  pain  of  con- 
demnation forthwith,  to  believe  the  gospel  ;  every 
man  was  urged  to  arise  immediately  and,  without  de- 
lay, 'repent  and  be  baptized,  for  the  remission  of 
sins.'  This  was  to  bring  the  blessings  of  the  gospel 
of  the  glorious  God  within  the  grasp  of  all  minds, 
and  to  place  men's  responsibility  where  it  ought  to 
be — with  themselves.  They  were  to  obey  immedi- 
ately, and  no  apology  would  be  accepted.  This  was 
not  only  to  save  many,  but  also  to  bring  the  public 
mind,  directly  or  indirectly,  under  the  solemn  convic- 
tions of  responsibility,  and  thereby  make  our  holy 
religion  the  handmaid  of  society  in  which  our  do- 
mestic, municipal,  and  State,  and  national  relations, 
obligations,  and  duties,  required  to  be  supported  and 
invigorated  by  all  the  force  of  a  higher  authority — 
the  authority  of  God. 

"Thus,  the  re-initiation  of  the  primitive  gospel  was 
a  grand  accession  of  new  strength  to  the  moral  forces 
of  society,  as  well  as  the  church,  and  taught  all  men 
every- where  to  evince,  on  all  proper  occasions,  spon- 
taneously, a  sense  of  common  right  and  the  suprem- 
acy of  law.  All  the  teachings  of  the  various  sects 
founded  on  arbitrary  election,  decrees,  operations,  ex- 
periences, rather  than  faith  in  Christ,  were  negatived, 
and  the  blessed  Son  of  God,  alone,  as  the  impersona- 
tion of  the  Divinity,  and  the  grand  comprehension 
of  our  religion,  was  held  forth  alone  for  faith." 

Thus,  a  living  personal  Christ  was  substituted  for 
dry  and  often  repulsive  doctrines  which  had  in  them 
no  food  for  the  hungry  soul ;  and  a  sense  of  personal 


288  /, IFE  OF  ELD ER   WA L  TER  SCO  TT. 

responsibility,  and  the  need  of  immediate  obedience 
was  substituted  for  a  paralyzing  fatalism,  and  the  pas- 
sive waiting  for  God's  own  good  time  and  way — as  if 
God  were  not  ever  ready  to  bless — as  if  prophets  and 
apostles  had  never  cried  "turn  ye,  turn  ye;"  as  if 
Christ  had  never  said,  earnest  and  tenderly,  "  Come 
unto  me." 

The  importance  of  this  portion  of  his  work  can- 
scarcely  be  overestimated ;  it  was  not  the  restoration 
of  an  ordinance  to  its  proper  place,  or  a  better  ar- 
rangement of  some  one  item  of  the  gospel ;  but  it 
was  the  settling  of  the  true  relation  of  God  and  man 
to  each  other — showing  that  man  was  not  powerless 
and  dead,  but  able  to  understand  his  Maker's  voice 
and  obey  his  mandates  ;  and  that  God  would  be 
gracious  and  forgiving  to  all  that  would  hear,  and  turn, 
and  live.  The  God  of  the  popular  theology  was  one 
like  the  Mexican  General  who  ordered  every  tenth 
man  of  his  prisoners  to  be  shot,  no  matter  who  he 
might  prove  to  be — and  men  were  like  those  pris- 
oners awaiting  the  sentence  without  knowing  how  to 
avert  it,  or  where  it  would  fall.  The  God  of  the 
Bible,  whom  Scott  delighted  to  present  to  the  minds 
and  hearts  of  his  hearers,  was  the  Father  of  the  Prod- 
igal, tender,  compassionate,  forgiving  ;  the  sinner,  the 
Prodigal  himself,  reckless,  wayward,  wretched,  sinful, 
yet  capable  of  the  high  resolve,  "  I  will  arise,  and  go 
to  my  Father;"  capable  of  feeling  his  Father's  ten- 
derness, and  being  melted  by  it  when  he  took  him  in 
his  warm  embrace  ;  capable  of  sobbing  out  his  peni- 
tence and  sorrow;  capable  of  being  gladdened  by  his 
welcome  and  pardon. 

The  chief  feature  in  the  labors  of  Scott  is,  that  he 


SEEKING  OLD  PA'IHS.  289 

added  no  new  elements  to  religion,  as  did  the  founders 
of  all  other  religious  sects  and  parties  ;  he  simply 
called  attention,  long,  earnestly,  and  persistently, 
to  truths  once  well  known,  but,  in  a  great  measure, 
forgotten  ;  and  arranged  in  their  original  order  the 
elements  which  were  universally  regarded  as  con- 
stituent parts  of  the  New  Testament,  but  which  had 
lost  much  of  their  power  on  account  of  the  perverted, 
and,  in  some  instances,  inverted  order  in  which  they 
were  taught  and  practiced.  A  Christian  experience, 
when  he  began  his  labors,  was  required  before  a  pro- 
fession of  faith  in  Christ  had  been  made  ;  the  ordi- 
nance of  baptism  was  made  to  precede  teaching,  faith, 
and  penitence  ;  and  the  Holy  Spirit,  which  was 
promised  to  those  that  believed,  was,  almost  univer- 
sally, taught  to  be  sent  to  the  sinner,  to  enable  him  to 
believe;  the  theory  being  prevalent  that,  while  men 
could  believe  almost  any  body  or  any  thing,  they 
had  not  power  to  believe  what  God  said  to  them  in 
his  Word,  without  the  supernatural  help  of  the  Spirit 
of  God.  Without  this  Spirit  to  enlighten,  produce 
faith,  and  regenerate  the  man,  not  a  step  toward  God 
could  be  made  ;  while  the  Scriptures  expressly  taught 
"that  not  to  make  them  sons,  but  because  they  were 
sons,  God  had  sent  forth  the  Spirit  of  his  Son  into 
their  hearts,  crying  Abba  Father."  Gal.  4:  6.  Such 
•a  thing  as  being  baptized  on  a  simple  profession  of 
faith  in  Jesus  Christ  as  the  Son  of  God,  would  have 
been  regarded  not  only  as  a  novelty  in  those  times,  but 
a  heresy;  and  nothing  would  have  been  further  from 
the  teaching  and  practice  of  the  day  than  to  hold 
that  a  man  may  become  a  Christian  by  simply  follow- 
ing the  instructions  given   by  the  apostles   to   those 


290  /.//■•/•'   OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCOTT. 

who  desired  to  know  the  way  of  life,  or  by  doing  just 
what  was  done  by  those  who,  under  their  labors,  were 
brought  into  the  fold  of  God. 

To  return  to  these  old  and  fo^'gotten  paths  was  the 
great  object  of  Scott's  labors,  and  not  many  years 
had  passed  after  he  had  thrown  all  else  away,  until 
his  preaching,  and  that  of  his  fellow-laborers  was  dis- 
tinguished by  the  expressions,  '*  The  true  gospel," 
"  The  original  gospel,"  "  The  primitive  gospel,"  "  The 
!f*entecostian  gospel,"  and  "The  Jerusalem  gospel;" 
none  of  these  terms  were  current  prior  to  that  time, 
and  their  very  use  proves  at  least  that  he  and  they 
claimed  to  preach  that  gospel  to  which  all  these  expres- 
sions pointed.  In  a  word,  there  was  nothing  new  in  the 
movement  in  which  he  was  engaged  ;  let  us  examine 
it  and  we  shall  find  nothing  at  all  resembling  the 
novelties  and  pecularities  which  characterized  the  la- 
bors of  Calvin,  Fox,  Wesley,  and  all  other  religious 
reformers.  What  is  Calvinism,  but  a  religious  philos- 
ophy .-*  Quakerism,  but  a  religion  without  ordi- 
nances, and  practically  without  a  Bible,  since  much 
of  its  plain  teaching  is  ignored,  and  more  superseded 
by  the  **  inner  light"  by  which  its  adherents  profess 
to  be  guided.  Wesley's  system  is  an  amended  form 
of  Episcopalianism  ;  among  its  novelties,  unknown  to 
the  Bible,  are  its  class,  and  band  meetings,  its  system 
of  probation — a  six  months'  trial,  and  doctrine  of 
perfection  ;  and  all  of  them  with  a  membership  of 
infants  not  recognized  in  the  New  Testament,  and 
doctrines  which  do  not  admit  of  being  expressed  in 
the  language  of  the  Word  of  God.  Calvinism  has 
its  five  points,  which  are  directly  antagonized  by  the 
five  points  of  Arminianism,  and  every  one  of  which. 


ERRORS  OF  OTHER  REFORMERS.  291 

moreover,  may.be  antagonized  by  express  declarations 
of  the  Word  of  God.  But  in  the  permanent  and 
practical  recovery  and  reorganization  of  the  true  gos- 
pel, there  is  nothing  liable  to  the  objections  which 
may  be  urged  with  truth  against  all  the  systems  in 
which  so  much  of  the  human  is  mingled  with  the 
divine. 

He  saw  the  error  into  which  the  various  reformers 
had  fallen,  and  carefully  avoided  them,  and,  while 
against  the  six  months'  trial  of  Methodism,  the  teach- 
ing of  Scripture  might  be  urged,  that  converts  "were 
added  to  the  church  the  same  day,"  and  against  the 
particular  redemption  and  final  perseverance  of  Cal- 
vinism ma}^  be  urged  the  declarations  that  "he,  by 
the  grace  of  God,  tasted  death  for  every  man,"  and 
the  If,  full  of  meaning  in  "  If  ye  do  these  things,  ye 
shall  never  fall,"  who  can  find  an  objection  either  in 
reason  or  Scripture  against  the  course  pursued  by 
Scott,  which  was  to  set  forth  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ 
as  the  object  of  faith — to  insist  on  hearing  Hivi  as 
God  had  enjoined — to  insist  on  repentance  unto  life, 
and  instant  obedience  to  be  shown  in  baptism  for  re- 
mission through  his  blood,  followed  by  the  rich 
promise  of  the  gift  of  the  Spirit,  and  the  hope  of 
eternal  life.  In  regard  to  this  point  he  says  :  "With- 
out more  accurate  views  of  the  first  principles  of  the 
gospel  than  Luther,  Calvin,  Wesley,  Carson,  and 
Haldane  seem  to  have  possessed,  it  would  have  been 
hazardous,  nay,  presumptuous,  to  have  created  a  new 
party  ;  this  would  have  been  only  to  create  a  new 
sect.  I  did  not  indulge  in  enthusiasm  ;  I  left  behind 
no  blunders  to  be  corrected  ; "  and  this  he  said  be- 
cause  he  had   framed   no   new  theory,   invented   no 


292  LIFE  OF  ELDER  WALTER  SCO I'T. 

Strange  doctrine,  but  builded  on  the  firm  foundation 
of  the  apostles  and  prophets,  Jesus  Christ  being  the 
chief  corner-stone.  He  neither  despised  nor  dis- 
paraged the  work  of  those  great  and  good  men, 
whose  work,  though  imperfect,  had  prepared  the  way 
for  his  own  ;  but  realizing  that  all  errors  and  mis- 
takes had  arisen  from  a  departure  from  the  Word 
of  God,  he  determined  to  sit  at  the  feet  of  the  Great 
Teacher,  and  teach  no  other  lessons  than  those  which 
he  gave. 

He  made  the  Word  of  God  his  companion  by  day, 
and  meditated  upon  it  In  the  night-watches,  and,  in 
consequence,  made  much  of  its  language  his  own,  so 
that  he  could  draw  freely  on  his  memory  for  the 
choicest  things  in  the  Book  of  God  ;  and  from  this 
rich  treasury  he  brought  forth  freely  things  new  and 
old.  Like  David,  his  heart  inclined  to  the  law  of  the 
Lord,  and  thus,  at  times,  his  thoughts  concerning  it 
would  flow  :  Oh,  Book  of  God  !  thou  sacred  temple  ! 
thou  holy  place  !  thou  gold  incense  altar !  thou  heav- 
enly shew-bread!  thou  cherubim-embroidered  vail! 
thou  mercy-seat  of  beaten  gold  !  thou  Shekinah  in 
which  the  divinity  is  enshrined  !  thou  ark  of  the  cov- 
enant !  thou  new  creation  !  thou  tree  of  life,  whose 
sacred  leaves  heal  the  nations  !  thou  river  of  life,  whose 
waters  cleanse  and  refresh  the  world  !  thou  New  Jerusa- 
lem, resplendent  with  gems  and  gold  !  thou  Paradise  of 
God,  wherein  walks  the  second  Adam  !  thou  throne 
of  God  and  the  Lamb  !  thou  peace-promising  rain- 
bow, encircling  that  throne,  unsullied  and  unfallen  ! 
Image  of  God  and  his  Son  who  sit  thereon,  what  a 
futurity  of  dignity,  kingly  majesty,  and  eternal  glory 
is  hidden  in  thee  !  thou  art  my  comfort  in  the  house 


ArOSTKOrilE   TO    THE  BIBLE.  293 

of  my  pilgrimag-e.  Let  the  kings  and  counselors  of 
the  earth,  and  princes,  who  have  got  gold  and  silver, 
build  for  themselves  sepulchers  in  solitary  places,  but 
mine,  oh,  be  it  mine,  to  die  in  the  Lord  !  Then 
"earth  to  earth,  and  dust  to  dust,"  but  the  great 
mausoleum,  the  Word  of  the  Lord,  be  the  shrine  of 
my  soul. 


294  LII-'E  OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCOTT. 


CHAPTER    XIX. 

Social  qualities  of  Elder  Scott — Trip  up  the  Ohio  River,  and  pleasing  inci- 
dents connected  with  it — Letter  from  one  of  the  ministers  whose 
acquaintance  he  made  on  the  voyage, 

THE  social  qualities  of  Elder  Scott  were  of  a  high 
order;  he  possessed  in  a  remarkable  degree  the 
power  of  adapting  himself  to  any  company  into  which 
he  might  be  thrown.  Many  persons  need  the  stimulus 
of  an  audience  to  call  forth  their  best  efforts ;  but  he 
was  often  as  happy  and  fascinating  in  his  presenta- 
tion of  truth  in  the  presence  of  a  few  as  when  before 
a  large  and  delighted  auditory.  His  ready  wit,  and 
flow  of  anecdote,  his  large  and  intimate  acquaintance 
with  science  and  literature,  rendered  him  the  center  of 
every  circle,  no  matter  how  accomplished  and  refined 
that  circle  might  be.  His  manners  were  those  of  an 
accomplished  gentleman,  and  the  brilliancy  of  his  con- 
versation, and  the  kindness  of  his  heart,  always  made 
him  a  favorite,  and,  in  not  a  few  instances,  gained  him 
the  lasting  friendship  of  those  who  differed  from  him 
when  they  met ;  but  were  very  near  his  way  of  think- 
ing when  they  parted. 

He  numbered  among  his  personal  friends  many  emi- 
nent men  in  the  various  religious  denominations ;  and 
the  facility  with  which  he  formed  such  friendships 
may  be  learned  from  the  following  account  of  a  trip 
up  the  Ohio.  On  the  last  day  of  the  year  1833,  in 
company  with  Bro.  Joseph  Bryant,  he  started  on  a 


A  STEAMBOAT  SCENE.  295 

visit  to  Virginia,  and  as  travel  in  those  da)'s  was  a 
more  serious  aftair  than  the  present,  it  took  several 
days  to  make  the  voyage  from  Cincinnati  to  Wheel- 
ing, during  which  time  he  made  several  useful  ac- 
quaintances, and  sowed  much  good  seed.  How  this 
was  done  we  will  let  him  tell  the  reader  himself  He 
says  : 

*'We  were  detained  a  day  in  the  city  for  want  of  a  boat, 
but  now  the  steamers  lay  panting  along,  the  shore,  like  so 
many  racers,  each  eager  to  make  the  first  descent  to  Louis- 
ville, Natchez,  or  New  Orleans.  We  boarded  the  'Planter,' 
a  steamer  of  the  lowest  rate  in  point  of  size,  but  possess- 
ing the  best  accommodations  for  deck  and  cabin  passengers. 
After  a  momentary  hesitation  I  entered  my  name  for 
Wellsburgh,  birth  No.  12.  My  indecision  rose  from  a 
sudden  but  transient  recollection  of  my  late  long  debihty, 
during  which  I  had  contracted  the  most  invincible  love  of 
home.  Bro.  Bryant  rallied  me  a  little,  and  I  yielded  to 
what  I  was  ashamed  to  resist. 

''Next  day  the  bell  rang  the  signal  for  departure,  and 
the  deck  and  cabin  were  crowded  insta?itcr.  In  the  cabin 
the  passengers  walked  stately,  or  talked  importantly,  while 
some  hung  on  the  back  of  their  chairs  ;  and,  like  birds,  when 
boys  approach  their  haunts,  couched  their  heads,  and  cast 
frequent  and  speculative  glances  at  their  fellows,  hoping  to 
descry  in  their  faces,  dresses,  walk,  or  talk,  indications  of 
their  natural,  social,  or  religious  importance  and  character. 

"  There  are  many  charms,  and  sometimes  much  excel- 
lent fellowship,  in  a  good  supper.  The  captain  of  the 
'Planter'  served  us  with  one  of  the  very  best;  and  soon 
exalted  all  minds  to  the  conversational  pitch.  If  silence  or 
gloom  had  hitherto  pervaded  the  cabin,  it  might  have  been 
owing  to  a  fact  of  which  I  was  not  then  aware,  namely, 
that    there   were    actually   no    fewer    than  -five    ministers 


296  LIFE  OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCOTT. 

present !  all  alike  strangers  to  each  other,  and  to  the  rest 
of  the  company  generally.  I,  like  others,  perhaps,  thought 
myself  unknown  except  by  Bro.  Bryant ;  but  in  this  I  was 
mistaken  ;  I  was  recognized  immediately,  and  spoken  to 
by  all  as  if  I  had  previously  enjoyed  the  honor  of  their  ac- 
quaintance. Some  were  citizens  of  Cincinnati,  some  rela- 
tions to  brethren  in  the  West,  and  some  were  actually  of 
the  brethren. 

''One  of  the  ministers  was  a  Presbyterian,  who,  as  he 
afterward  informed  me,  had  been  a  physician,  but  had 
become  a  teacher'of  religion,  from  sentiments  of  high  re- 
gard for  the  interests  of  Christianity ;  his  name  was  Mr. 
Gridly,  at  that  time  an  agent  of  the  Tract  Society.  Mr. 
Gridly  was  too  sincerely  inspired  with  the  importance  of 
religion  in  general,  and  of  his  own  mission  in  particular, 
not  to  let  his  high  calling  be  speedily  understood. 

''Another  of  our  ministers  was  a  Mr.  Smeed,  an  Episco- 
palian, an  assistant  to  the  Rector  of  Christ's  Church,  New 
York.  Possessed  of  the  most  pleasing  exterior,  Mr.  Smeed 
^discovered  the  greatest  candor  and  ingenuousness  of  mind, 
speaking  freely  of  every  thing  which  related  to  the  truth 
of  revealed  religion,  and  doing  the  greatest  honor  to  every 
argument  of  those  whose  views  led  them  to  differ  from  him 

in  any   matter  in   Christianity.     Dr.   M e  of  L n 

had,  during  his  visit  to  that  city,  convinced  him  that  im- 
mersion alone  was  baptism;  and  before  he  left  the  'Planter  ' 
his  ingenuousness  and  love  of  truth  led  him  to  afford  me 
ample  opportunity  of  laying  before  him  the  doctrine  of 
Scripture,  concerning  the  Holy  Spirit.  He  admitted  the 
adequacy  of  the  divine  testimony  alone  to  produce  faith  in 
all  who  read  the  Scriptures  with  proper  motives ;  and  said, 
he  thought  he  never  would  again  direct  sinners  to  wait 
upon  special  operations  so  long  as  he  lived.  I  earnestly 
entreated  him  to  announce  the-  gospel  in  the  style  and  lan- 
guage of  the  apostles,  and  to  administer  it  to  believers  ac- 
cordingly. 


FIVE  PREACHERS  MEET.  297 

''Mr.  Ross  had  been  a  Universalist,  and  was,  as  he 
jocularly  expressed  it,  a  sprig  of  the  college.  He  had  in 
his  youth  been  thoroughly  drilled  in  the  elements  of  the 
learned  languages,  but  his  talents  were  allowed  to  languish, 
and  his  education  was  incomplete.  He  heard  my  dis- 
courses and  reasoning  on  the  ancient  gospel  with  un- 
feigned pleasure,  and,  in  the  presence  of  all  the  passengers, 
expressed  his  gratitude  to  God  for-being  permitted  that  day 
to  hear  announced  and  defended  a  thing  of  which  he  had 
been  told  so  many  wonderful  but  erroneous  stories.  Mr. 
Ross  finally  admitted  the  views  of  the  Reformers,  and 
declared  he  never  could  forget  the  things  which  had,  dur- 
ing the  voyage  up  the  river,  been  submitted  to  his  con- 
sideration. 

''Our  fourth  minister  belonged  to  the  Dutch  Reformed. 
He  was  a  German  by  birth,  and  had  not  been  more  than 
one  year  in  the  United  States.  He  was  certainly  a  pious 
man,  but  he  spoke  English  very  indifferently;  for  want  of 
words,  he  could  not  express  himself  in  such  a  manner  as  to 
render  his  conversation  agreeable  either  to  himself  or 
others.  He  parted  with  the  company  in  tears,  and  wished 
us  individually  the  divine  blessing. 

"Here  we  were  then,  five  of  us  cooped  up  with  nearly 
thirty  more,  all  as  impatient  and  undoubting  on  the  sub- 
ject of  religion,  perhaps^  as  ourselves  !  What  was  to  be 
done?  What  was  to  be  expected?  Any  thing  but  war! 
Nothing  but  war.  Being  somewhat  indisposed  I  had 
hoped  Jiiy  debilitated  and  sunken  frame  would  have  been 
permitted  to  indulge  in  ease  during  our  three  or  four  days 
journey  up  the  river,  but  no,  'war  in  the  wigwam;  '  there 
is  no  rest  here. 

"It  is  singular  to  contemplate  how  much  the  prejudices* 
of  thousands  have  been  touched  and  stirred  up  by  the 
restoration  of  the  Baptism  of  Remission,  and  the  Scripture 
account  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  Here  was  a  whole  cabin  full 
of  men,  ignorant,  entirely  ignorant,  of  the  character  of  the 


298  LIFE  OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCOTT. 

Reformers  who  plead  for  the  original  gospel,  and  of  every 
circumstance  relative  to  its  re-appearance  in  society ;  yet, 
perhaps,  there  was  not  a  single  individual  among  them 
wholly  unacquainted  with  the  points  of  dispute  between  us, 
and  all  o\\-\qx parties  on  the  field. 

'*  We  were  soon  invited  to  hostilities ;  Mr.  Gridly  was 
neither  ashamed  of  his  religion,  nor  aware  of  the  indefensi- 
bility of  some  of  his  sentiments,  as  a  minister  of  the  Pres- 
byterian body.  Baptism,  therefore,  baptism,  that  bone  of 
contention,  between  those  who  immerse  and  those  who  do 
any  thing  else  was  soon  upon  the  carpet.  But  Professor 
Stuart  has  settled  this  question  in  regard  to  Presbyterians ; 
Mr.  Gridly,  therefore,  was  unable  to  stand  a  single  minute 
before  his  learned  brother's  criticism,  the  Andover  Profes- 
sor. Indeed,  Mr.  Gridly  did  not  seem  aware  of  the  mis- 
chief which  Mr.  Stuart  had  done  to  the  spj'inkling  cause, 
but  he  was  made  to  feel  it  severely ;  for  a  regular  Baptist, 
who  made  one  of  our  number,  urged  upon  him,  with  much 
gravity,  both  the  truth  and  potency  of  the  Professor's 
criticism.  One  of  the  Plinys  says,  that  true  glory  consists 
in  doing  things  worthy  of  being  written,  of  writing  things 
worthy  of  being  read,  and  leaving  the  world  (ourselves)  the 
better  of  having  lived  in  it.  The  skirmish  which  took 
place  this  evening,  however,  seemed  only  to  w^het  up  the 
courage  of  those  engaged  in  it  for  more  and  better  defined 
contention.  Whether  we,  this  night,  dreamed  of  victory 
and  triumph,  I  know  not ;  but  sure  it  is  that  a  more  eager 
discussion  of  religious  matters  than  w^as  lighted  up  aboard 
the  '  Planter'  next  morning  I  never  witnessed.  It  is  pleas- 
ing to  add,  however,  that  never  were  religious  men  better 
pleased  with  each  other,  or  apparently  more  solicitous  to 
honor  the  sentiments  and  sincerity  of  each  other,  than  the 
passengers  aboard  the  'Planter.' 

''  Mr.  Gridly  is  a  very  accomplished  man,  and,  as  he  in- 
formed us,  is  at  present  engaged  as  an  agent  of  the  Tract 
Society;  I  told  him  that  on  condition  he  would  admit  cer- 


FRIENDL  V  D/SCUSSIOy.  299 

tain  premises,  I  felt  perfectly  willing  to  take  the  opi)osite 
of  a  proposition  which  he  had  asserted  and  assumed  in  his 
conversation  with  a  gentlemen  who  sat  by  us.  I  continued 
to  observe,  that  he  had  intimated,  that  'faith  came  by  a 
special  internal  operation  of  the  Holy  Spirit.'  Now,  this 
was  precisely  what  I  denied,  and  I  should  be  very  happy  to 
hear  him  on  the  affirmative,  on  condition  that  we  should 
first  define  the  subject  of  the  proposition,  namely,  faith  ; 
and,  secondly,  that  the  Holy  Scriptures  should  be  taken  as 
all  authority,  and  as  the  only  authority,  in  the  case.  Mr. 
Gridly  agreed  to  these  two  preliminaries,  and  the  word  was 
submitted  for  definition.  Being  requested  to  speak  first,  I 
supplied,  of  course,  the  apostolical  exposition  of  faith, 
found  in  the  nth  of  the  Hebrews,  accompanied  with  a 
sufficient  number  of  suitable  illustrations  drawn  from 
the  same  chapter.  Mr.  Gridly  then  proceeded,  and 
after  an  incomprehensible  definition  of  faith,  not  in  the 
words  of  Scripture,  but  in  his  own  words,  unaccom- 
panied by  one  single  illustration.  I  replied,  and  appealed 
to  the  numerous  auditors,  whether  Mr.  Gridly  had  not  de- 
parted wholly  from  the  premises,  *  that  the  Scriptures 
should  be  exclusive  authority  in  the  case?  '  I  went  for  the 
very  words  of  Scripture  in  the  matter  of  definition,  and, 
agreeably,  had  submitted  the  apostle's  account  of  faith  in 
the  words  of  the  apostle.  The  question  now  was,  whether 
this  definition  could  be  received  as  unexceptionable.  Mr. 
Gridly  assented  to  it  as  unexceptionable,  and  the  proposi- 
tion in  form  came  forthwith  upon  the  carpet ;  the  several 
ministers  seemed  to  draw  nearer  and  closer,  and  Mr. 
Gridly  stated  the  proposition  to  be  discussed,  namely, 
'  That  special  operations  of  the  Holy  Spirit  are  necessary 
to  faith.' 

''  Mr.  Gridly  then  adduced  as  argument  for  the  affirmative, 
the  words  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  namely,  *  When  he,  the  Holy 
Spirit,  is  come,  he  will  convince  the  world  of  sin,  of  right- 
eousness, and  of  judgment.'     This  was  conceived  to  be  in 


300  LIFE  OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCOTT. 

point.  But  in  answer,  it  was  replied,  that  although  the 
Spirit  was  to  convince  the  world  of  sin,  of  righteous- 
ness, and  of  judgment,  it  was  not  asserted  in  the  verse  that 
he  should  convince  them  of  faith,  or  that  he  should  give 
them  faith.  On  the  contrary,  he  was  to  convince  them  of 
sin,  because  they  had  no  faith.  He  shall  convince  them 
of  sin,  *  because,'  said  the  Lord,  '  they  believe  not  on  m?.' 
Moreover,  if  the  Holy  Spirit  is  to  give  us  faith,  and  con- 
vince us  of  sin  because  we  have  it  not,  then  religion  is 
founded  in  cruelty  and  absurdity ;  for,  how  could  he  con- 
vince me  of  sin  in  having  no  faith  if  it  were  his  own  inde- 
feasible office  by  internal  uncontrollable  operations  to 
bestow  upon  me  this  grace  ?  As  well  might  -he  assume  to 
convince  a  man  of  sin,  in  not  seeing  when  he  was  born 
blind !  Neither  reason  nor  the  Scripture  adduced  favored 
the  affirmation  that  special  operations  are  necessary  to  faith. 

"It  was  then  proposed,  as  a  second  authority,  that 
Stephen  said  to  those  who  condemned  him,  'Ye  do  always 
resist  the  Holy  Ghost;  as  your  fathers  did,  so  do  ye.' 
This,  it  was  conceived,  very  much  countenanced  special 
operations. 

'^ In  reply:  It  is  to  be  admitted  that  they  and  their 
fathers  were  guilty  of  the  same  sin;  that  is,  they  both 
resisted  the  Holy  Spirit.  The  Holy  Spirit  spoke  to  their 
fathers  by  the  prophets,  and  to  them  by  the  apostles ;  they 
and  their  fathers,  then,  had  resisted  him.  But  where  was 
he  when  they  resisted  him?  Was  he  in  them  and  their 
fathers,  or  in  the  apostles  and  prophets?  In  the  apostles 
and  prophets  without  doubt!  The  spirit  of  the  devil  was 
in  them  and  their  fathers,  and  led  them  to  offer  despite  to 
the  Spirit  of  God  who  wrought  before  them,  for  their  salva- 
tion, all  mighty  signs,  and  wonders,  and  powers,  and 
miracles,  and  glorious  works  ! 

"Before  the  examination  of  this  part  of  Mr.  Gridly's 
argument  was  finished,  Mr.  Smeed,  the  Episcopalian  clergy- 
man, a  gentleman  alike  distinguished  for  personal  beauty 


FRIENDL  i  •  DISCUSSION.  3  O I 

and  ingeniiou.sness  of  mind,  supplied  Mr.  Gridly  with  an- 
other Scripture,  viz.  :  '  No  man  can  say  that  Jesus  is  the 
Lcyd,  but  by  the  Holy  Spirit.' 

^'' l7i  reply :  It  was  asked,  wh'ether  the  operations,  by 
which  we  were  enabled  to  believe  in  Jesus  and  say  he  is 
the  Lord,  were  internal  or  external?  I  asserted  they  were 
external  in  signs,  and  miracles;  and  adduced,  as  proof,  the 
case  of  John  the  Baptist,  who  said  he  knew  him  not ;  but 
received  the  external  sign  of  the  Spirit's  descent  as  that 
by  which  he  should  know  him.  '  And  I  saw  and  bare  wit- 
ness,' said  John,  'that  this  is  the  Son  of  God.'  The  case 
of  the  twelve  apostles,  the  people  on  Pentecost,  the  Samari- 
tans, and  others,  were  then  brought  forward  as  instances  of 
the  same  nature,  and  to  the  same  point. 

''  Here  dinner  was  announced,  and,  everyone  starting  to 
his  feet,  the  Universalist  clergyman,  Mr.  Ross,  a  person 
of  great  respectability,  and  known  to  several  gentleman  in 
the  cabin,  availed  himself  of  the  occasion  and  publicly 
thanked  God  he  had  been  favored  with  an  opportunity  of 
hearing  stated  and  defended  the  sentiments  for  which  I 
pleaded  namely,  that  '  faith  cometh  by  hearing  and  not  by 
special  operations  of  the  Spirit.'  The  above  gentleman 
was  finally  convinced  of  the  truth  of  the  ancient  gospel, 
and  expressed  a  serious  regret  that  our  present  accidental, 
but  interesting,  interview,  was  to  suffer  interruption  by  an 
unavoidable  separation. 

''Mr.  Gridly  confessed  that  his  opponent  had  managed 
the  argument  with  great  coolness,  but  could  not  help  think- 
ing that  his  course,  owed  more  to  his  ingenuity  and  subtlety 
of  reason  than  the  Holy  Scriptures. 

"  His  opponent  admired  Mr.  Gridly's  manner  of  escap- 
ing from  the  horns  of  the  dilemma,  between  which  he  had 
been  thrown.  Much  had  been  adduced  to  show  that  faith 
came  by  hearing,  but  nothing  satisfactory  that  it  came  in 
the  manner  asserted  by  Mr.  Gridly. 

"  Mr.   Ross,  the  Universalist    minister,  is  a  gentleman 


302  LIFE  OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCOTT. 

of  great  urbanity,  and  has  received  a  good  education.  He 
listened  to  an  explication  of  our  sentiments  with  great  ap- 
parent satisfaction,  and  seemed  mucli  to  admire  the  anci^ent 
gospel. 

''  For  the  entertainment  of  the  company  during  the 
afternoon,  it  was  agreed  to  by  the  mrnisters,  that  each  of 
them  should  speak  for  fifteen  minutes  on  some  select  sub- 
ject, but  not  in  the  way  of  replication  to  any  thing  that  had 
been  spoken  before,  or  that  might  be  said  in  the  course 
of  the  entertainment. 

''Mr.  Smeed,  the  Episcopalian,  being  requested  to  com.- 
mence,  declined,  as  being  the  youngest ;  and  Mr.  Ross  to 
a  like  solicitation,  replied  in  the  negative,  and  apologized 
as  being  the  oldest ;  being  neither  so  young  as  Mr.  Smeed, 
nor  so  old  as  Mr.  Ross,  I  was  left  without  excuse,  and,  at 
the  earnest  request  of  the  company,  opened  the  entertain- 
ment by  a  discourse  on  the  '  Unity  and  variety  of  the  Gos- 
pel ; '  Mr.  Gridly  followed  on  '  True  Repentance  ;  '  Mr. 
Smeed  selected  for  a  theme,  '  The  Nature  of  Genuine  and 
Scriptural  Liberality ;  '  and  Mr.  Ross  concluded  on  '  The 
Necessity  of  Immediately  Preparing  for  that  State  which 
is  to  succeed  the  Present.' 

"Next  night  it  was  agreed  that  each  should  speak  for 
an  indefinite  time"  on  any  subject  he  pleased,  to  select. 
Mr.  Gridly  spoke  first,  and  chose  for  a  topic,  '  Regenera- 
tion.' I  spoke  next,  and  selected  for  a  theme,  'The 
Literal  and  Figurative  Representations  which  are  given  of 
the  Gospel  in  the  New  Testament.' 

"  Li  the  course  of  this  speech  it  was  shown  that  the 
gospel  in  principle  is  faith;  it  is  repentance,  baptism,  re- 
mission of  sins,  the  Holy  Spirit,  eternal  life.  These 
privileges  and  principles,  it  was  vouched,  constituted  the 
gospel  literally.  The  question  was  then  asked,  '  What  is 
the  gospel  figuratively  ?  '  In  answer,  it  was  stated  that 
the  gospel  figuratively  is  many  a  thing ;  it  is  a  new  birth, 
a  burial,  a  resurrection,  a  death,  an  ingrafting,  a  marriage; 


MR.  SMEED'S  DISCOURSE.  303 

but  it  is  a  most  imi)ortant  fact,  in  relation  to  figures,  how- 
ever, that  they  are  not  intended  to  add  to,  or  diminish 
from,  the  literal  sense  of  the  gospel ;  for  whether  metaphor- 
ized  by  a  birth,  a  marriage,  or  a  death,  the  gospel,  literally, 
is  ever  the  same  in  principle;  in  practice,  in  privilege,  and 
in  spirit,  it  is  still  the  same.  A  metaphor,  like  a  ray  of  light, 
falling  on  the  face  of  a  clock,  and  discovering  the  hour  of 
day  without  disturbing  the  index,  sheds  a  lustre  on  the 
thing  metaphorized,  and  gives  to  it  a  vivacity  and  spright- 
liness  not  its  own;  but  it  disturbs  not  its  parts,  it  interferes 
not  with  its  structure. 

''Why,  then,  do  men  fail  to  be  intelligible  and  per- 
spicuous when  they  discourse  on  the  figures  and  metaphors 
employed  to  give  lustre  and  sprightliness  to  the  gospel, 
and  to  parts  and  points  in  the  gospel  ? 

The  reason  is,  that  figure  is  only  to  be  explained  by 
fact,  and  the  metaphorical  by  the  literal ;  a  person  ignorant 
of  the  fact  must  be  ignorant  of  the  figure,  and  no  man  can 
explain  the  metaphorical  who  does  not  first  understand 
the  literal.  Why  have  we  so  many  incoherent  and  absurd 
theories  of  regeneration  ?  I  answer,  simply  because  the  au- 
thors of  them  are  ignorant  of  the  literal  gospel,  and  unfor- 
tunately imagine  that  it  is  one  thing  in  fact,  and  another 
in  figure.  .  But,  although  the  gospel  were  held  up  in'  a  mill- 
ion of  different  figures,  it  would  literally  still  be  the  same  ; 
it  would  still  be  faith  in  principle,  reformation  in  practice, 
love  in  sentiment,  pardon,  the  Spirit,  and  life  eternal. 

''  Mr.  Smeed  proposed  the  three  following  propositions, 
and  spoke  on  them  with  great  force  and  beauty. 

''  ist.   God  loves  all  men. 

*'  2d.   He  has  provided  salvation  for  all  men. 

''3d.  He  has  put  the  means  of  obtaining  this  salvation 
equally  within  the  power  of  all  men  who  have  the  gospel. 

"  Mr.  Smeed  possesses  a  fine  exterior,  and  many  personal 
accomplishments,  nor  is  he  less  distinguished  for  the  ami- 
able and  shining  qualities  of  the  mind  ;  but  I  am  sorry  to 


304  LIFE  OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCO'FT. 

say,  that  his  beautiful  and  forcible  speech  ended  with  the 
common  error  that,  over  and  above  the  divine  testimony, 
spiritual  operations  are  necessary  to  belief. 

''In  subsequent  conversation,  however,  this  gentleman 
afforded  me  ample  opportunity  of  pointing  out  this  error, 
and  of  laying  before  him  the  ancient  gospel,  -and  particu- 
larly that  point  in  it  which  relates  to  the  Spirit.  He  heard 
me  with  much  patience ;  understood  me  perfectly,  that  the 
Spirit  was  promised  not  to  sinners,  but  to  the  saints;  saw 
where  Episcopalians  and  Presbyterians  were  one,  and  that 
though  Mr.  Gridly  and  he  had  spoken  on  different  topics, 
and  were  known  by  different  party  names,  yet  they  came 
out  at  the  same  point  at  last,  namely,  that  '  the  Spirit  is 
necessary  to  faith.' 

"  Next  morning  another  sortie  from  both  camps  brought 
Mr.  Gridly  and  myself  once  more  upon  the  carpet,  and 
afforded  me  a  final  opportunity  of  bringing  the  gospel 
before  the  whole  company. 

''Never  did  I  sit  in  company  with  men  of  greater 
decency  of  behavior;  every  one  seemed  to  strive  with  all 
the  rest  to  make  himself  agreeable.  The  captain  of  the 
'  Planter '  is  a  sensible,  kind,  quiet,  attentive  man  ;  and 
when  we  came  to  part,  each  took  down,  in  his  pocket- 
book,  the  names  of  all  the  others,  that  he  might  at  least 
remember  those  in  whose  company  he  had  tasted  so  many 
of  those  pleasing  attentions  which  render  life  agreeable. 

"  As  we  ascended  the  river  the  ice  increased,  and  the 
paddles  had  to  be  cleared  from  the  masses  of  it,  which  now 
greatly  impeded  our  progress ;  this  difficulty  obviated,  we 
proceeded  upward,  and  arrived  at  Wheeling  a  little  after 
dusk.  The  boat  was  unable  to  proceed  to  Pittsburg,  and 
of  consequence,  all  parted,  perhaps  never  to  meet  again. 

"This  evening,  we  met  with  the  brethren  in  Wheeling, 
who  were  as  much  surprised  at  our  appearance  as  I  was 
delighted  with  their  company.     Next  morning  we  took  our 


MR.  ROSS'S  LETTER.  305 

leave  of  them,  and  proceeded,   Bro.   Bryant   and  myself, 
towards  Wellsburg.     Praised  be  the  name  of  tlie  Lord." 

The  impression  made  upon'  his  fellow-voyagers 
may  be  learned  by  the  following  portions  of  a  letter 
from  one  of  them,  Rev.  Mr.  Ross. 

''Oxford,  New  York,  July  is/,  1834. 

*'  Rev.  Walter  Scott, 

''Dear  Sir:  About  a  week  after  I  parted  with  you  I 
endeavored  to  cross  the  river  to  go  to  Wheeling ;  I  went 
over  to  the  island,  but  could  not  cross  the  other  part  of 
the  river  on  account  of  the  ice;  I  had,  however,  a  pleasant 
view  of  the  place,  but  my  attention  was  especially  directed 
to  the  steamboat.  Planter,  still  lying  there.  This  vessel 
immediately  put  me  in  mind  of  all  those  delightful  emo- 
tions of  Christian  love  and  friendship  which  we  enjoyed 
in  her  cabin,  and  which,  I  devoutly  pray,  may  continue 
until  the  consummation  of  all  things.  We  shall  not  soon 
forget  the  politeness  of  the  captain,  crew,  and  passengers, 
for  every  one  appeared  anxious  to  make  all  the  rest  happy. 
And  when  it  became  known  that  there  was  a  number  of 
preachers  on  board,  and  that  some  of  the  passengers  de- 
sired to  hear  preaching,  how  easily  was  every  thing  accom- 
modated to  their  and  our  wishes  !  Those  of  a  different 
taste,  politely  withdrawing,  or  else  conforming  to  those 
who  seemed  by  their  conduct  to  say  with  the  Psalmist, 
'  Oh,  come,  let  us  worship  and  bow  down ;  let  us  kneel  be- 
fore the  Lord  our  Maker!'  There  'we  sat  down,'  and 
rejoiced  'when  we  remembered  Zion  ; '  and  although  we 
were  a  mixed  multitude  of  different  denominations,  yet 
when  one  of  the  com})any  said  '  sing  us  one  of  the  songs 
of  Zion,'  we  did  not  answer,  as  in  the  days  of  old,  '  How 
shall  we  sing  the  Lord's  song  in  a  strange  land  !  '  but, 
26 


306  LIFE  OF  ELDER  WALTER  SCOTT. 

with  united  heart  and  voices,  we  could  praise  the  Lord  in 
such  words  as  the  following  : 

"'The  hill  of  Zion  yields 
A  thousand  sacred   sweets, 
Before  we  reach  the  heav'nly  fields, 
Or  walk  the  golden  streets.' 

"  Should  you  ever  happen  to  meet  any  of  that  company 
you  will  please  to  tell  them  that  they  still  live  in  my  affec- 
tionate remembrance,  and  that  I  hope  to  meet  them  in 
another  and  better  world.  Oh,  my  brethren  !  what  is 
there  upon  earth  to  be  compared  with  Christian  friend- 
ship !  '  Behold  how  good  and  pleasant  it  is  for  brethren 
to  dwell  together  in  unity;  it  is  like  the  precious  ointment 
u]»n  the  beard,  that  ran  down  upon  the  beard,  even  Aaron's 
beard,  that  went  down  to  the  skirts  of  his  garments,  as  the 
dew  of  Hermon,  and  as  the  dew  that  descended  upon  the 
mountains  of  Zion,'  I  have  frequently  thought  over  the 
scene  of  happiness  there  enjoyed,  free  from  all  the  cares 
of  life,  surrounded  by  kind  friends  who  loved  us,  amidst 
^  the  feast  of  reason  and  the  flow  of  soul,'  and  have  uni- 
formly pronounced  it  one  of  my  happiest  hours  in  the 
Christian  journey ;  and  I  feel  the  deepest  emotions  of  re- 
gret when  I  consider  the  improbability  of  ever  being  pres- 
ent {in  this  world)  at  such  an  union  of  different  denom- 
inations. Did  it  not  remind  you  of  that  period  when  the 
Watchmen  shall  see  eye  to  eye  ?  When  Ephraim  shall  not 
vex  Judah,  and  Judah  shall  not  vex  Ephraim  ? 

''  I  crossed  the  river  at  Wellsburg — went  to  Pittsburg, 
and  arrived  at  home  about  the  ist  of  February,  having  en- 
countered many  accidents  peculiar  to  the  winter  season  ; 
but,  notwithstanding  all  the  difhculties,  I  made  a  very 
happy  visit  to  Ohio,  and  never  shall  I  forget  the  kindness 
of  my  friends  there  ;  indeed,  the  kind  treatment  of  the 
people,  generally,  has  left  a  grateful  impression  on  my 
mind,  which   can  never,  except  by  death,   be  effaced.     1 


MK.   /WSS'S  LETTER.  30; 

am  delighted  with  the  State  of  Ohio,  and  when  I  was  with 
you  I  felt  as  if  I  must  move  my  little  family  there ;  but  I 
find  that  I  can  be  happy  anywhere,  with  the  peace  of  God 
and  the  friendship  of  my  neighbors.  But  whether  I  re 
move  there  or  not,  I  hope  I  shall  visit  you  and  the  rest  of 
my  friends  there,  if  I  am  spared.  I  assure  you  that  I  am 
exceedingly  delighted  with  the  Christian  love  and  harmony 
which  prevail  in  your  society ;  it  often  reminds  me  of  the 
primitive  Christians.  I  devoutly  pray  for  your  general 
prosperity  as  a  society,  and  that  God  may  especially  bless 
your  labors  for  the  good  of  his  church,  and  that  we  may 
spend  a  happy  eternity  with  each  other. 

*'I  am,  dear  sir,  yours,  most  affectionately, 

"Samuel  Ross." 


308  LIFE  OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCOTT. 


CHAPTER    XX 


Visit  to  Kentucky — Effects  of  first  and  second  sermon — Visits  Henry  Clay 
and  Col.  R.  M.  Johnson — Meets  the  widow  of  Alexander  Hamilton — 
Visit  to  Bethany,  Va.,  Pittsburg,  Pa.,  and  Warren,  Ohio — Letter  from 
Elder  Bentley. 


UP  to  this  time  the  labors  of  Scott  had  been  con- 
fined, in  a  great  measure,  to  Ohio,  Pennsylvania, 
and  Virginia  ;  but  he  now  began  to  turn  his  attention 
to  Kentucky,  where  the  Reformation  was  making  great 
progress.  Several  of  the  preachers  from  that  State 
had  visited  him  at  Carthage,  and  had  formed  a  very 
high  opinion  of  his  ability  as  a  preacher  ;  he  was  widely 
known  also  to  many  there  through  his  paper,  and 
there  was  a  great  desire  to  see  and  hear  him  ;  and,  in 
the  spring  of  1835,  he  spent  some  six  weeks  in  what 
is  known  as  the  '*  Blue  Grass  region." 

His  first  discourse  was  at  Georgetown,  and  failed  to 
come  up  to  the  general  expectation,  which,  as  is  usual 
on  such  occasions,  was  far  too  high  ;  but  the  brethren 
gathered  round  him  and  spoke  encouragingly,  and  when 
they  gathered  for  the  evening  discourse  every  thing  was 
more  favorable  than  it  had  been  in  the  morning  ;  then, 
all  was  expectation  and  curiosity,  a  strange  audience, 
and  a  strange  preacher  were  before  each  other,  the 
former  eager  and  critical,  the  latter  aware  of  it,  and 
doubtful  of  sustaining  the  opinion  which  those  who 
had  heard  him  elsewhere  had  widely  and  freely  ex- 
pressed ;  now,  however,  a  change   had   taken  place, 


rREA  CUES  A  T  GE OR GE  TO  U'X.  309 

the  extravagant  expectation  on  the  part  of  the  audi- 
ence had  abated — the  morning  discourse,  though  not 
brilHant  and  eloquent,  was  felt  to  be  thoughtful  and 
instructive,  and  the  preacher,  if  not  an  orator,  an 
earnest  and  cultivated  man.  The  preacher  felt  that 
too  much  was  not  expected,  as  in  the  morning  ;  the 
songs  which  preceded  the  sermon  were  cheering,  the 
confidence  which  showed  itself  in  the  faces  of  his 
brethVen  encouraging;  he  felt  that  he  had  a  place  in 
their  hearts,  and  that  their  prayers  were  going  up  in 
his  behalf.  He  arose  to  speak,  a  different  man,  his 
discourse  far  surpassed  all  that  his  most  sanguine 
friends  had  hoped — the  public  were  surprised  and 
delighted. 

Elder  L.  H.  Jamison,  who  had  accompanied  him 
from  Ohio,  says  :  "  His  theme  was  the  struggle  of  the 
Messiah  against  the  reign  of  sin,  and  the  glorious 
victory  of  the  Son  of  God.  The  after-part  of  the  dis- 
course was  a  continued  series  of  most  eloquent  pas- 
sages. One  passage  is  fresh  in  my  memory  still.  He 
undertook  to  describe  the  casting  out  of  the  Prince 
of  Darkness.  Satan  falling  as  lightning  from  heaven. 
Hurled  from  the  battlements  of  light  down  to  eternal 
darkness,  and  interminable  woe,  by  the  all-powerful 
hand  of  the  Son  of  God.  Then  was  heard  the  glori- 
ous song  of  redemption,  through  all  the  heavenly 
clime.  Ten  thousand  times  ten  thousand,  and  thou- 
sands of  thousands  of  angels,  on  harps  of  gold,  re- 
sponded to  the  glorious  song,  and  filled  the  heaven 
and  the  heaven  of  heavens  with  such  a  strain  of 
praise  as  never  before  had  greeted  the  cars  of  the 
first-born  sons  of  light.  The  appearance  and  man- 
ner of  the  speaker  was   fully   up   to   his   theme.      He 


3IO  LIFE  OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCO  FT. 

made  us  see  and  hear  what  he  was  describing.  The 
discourse  was  in  keeping  with  his  train  of  thought — at 
the  time  on  the  death  of  Christ — in  its  relations  and 
uses,  in  the  great  plan  of  human  Redemption." 

He  next  visited  Lexington,  and,  while  there,  he 
says : 

''  We  did  ourselves  the  honor  this  morning  to  visit,  at 
his  own  farm,  one  and  a  half  miles  from  Lexington,  the 
distinguished  American  statesman,  Henry  Clay.  We 
passed  from  the  main  road  to  the  mansion-house  of  Mr. 
Clay  by  a  circular  avenue  of  poplars  and  pines,  which 
made  me  fancy  myself  once  more  in  old  Scotia,  where 
such  trees  form  the  common  timber  of  the  country,  and 
must  be  remarkable  in  this  only  because  they  are  a  species 
of  evergreen,  and  do  not  shed  their  crop  of  green  needles 
until  they  are  pushed  from  their  places  by  those  of  the 
succeeding  year, 

"The  farm  must  be  a  delightful  spot  in  the  spring,  sum- 
mer, and  autumn,  as  its  appearance  was  beautiful  even  at 
this  early  season ;  but  circumstances  did  not  admit  us  de- 
laying to  examine  it  and  the  imported  breeds  of  cattle 
with  which,  we  were  informed,  it  has  been  stocked  by  its 
distinguished  owner.  We  only  gave  an  en  passant  glance 
at  its  extended  lawns  and  spreading  forests  as  we  advanced 
to  the  house.  When  we  had  ascended  the  flight  of  stone 
stairs  which  lead  to  the  front  door,  we  were  received  by  a 
well-bred  colored  servant,  who  invited  us  into  the  saloon, 
and  announced  us  to  his  master.  Mr.  Clay  received  us  in 
a  very  gracious  manner  indeed,  and  by  an  act  of  real  kind- 
ness instantly  dissipated  the  slight  trepidation  which  I,  for 
one,  felt  as  a  person  visiting,  for  the  first  time  a  great  and 
celebrated  man  whom  I  had  never  seen,  and  to  whom,  even 
now,  I  had  no  letter  of  introduction.  The  parlor,  in  which 
we  found  Mr.  Clay,  gave  evidence,  by  its  furniture  and 
ornaments,  both  of  the  taste  and  quality  of  its  owner;  it 


VISIT  TO  IIEXRY  CLA  Y.  3  I  I 

was  of  a  semi-circular  form,  with  windows  in  the  corners 
reaching  from  the  floor  almost  to  the  ceiling;  these  were 
hung  with  sky-colored  curtains  which  gave  it  an  air  of  great 
cheerfulness.  The  floor  was  covered  with  carpet,  and  the 
pieces  of  furniture  were  few  in  number;  this  last  incident 
very  much  suited  my  taste,  for,  of  all  things  in  the  world, 
I  dislike  a  room  crowded  with  furniturp  till  there  is  scarce 
space  left  to  turn  about  in  without  incommoding  your  fel- 
lows. Those  who  do  so,  display  much  wealth  and  taste, 
and  would  seem  to  trust  their  cause  for  respect  rather  to 
the  animal  than  to  the  rational  among  those  who  visit 
them.  Portraits  of  Washington  and  other  eminent  indi- 
viduals were  hanging  around  the  room;  and,  upon  the 
whole,  it  was  a  sweet  apartment,  containing  nothing  that 
could  make  either  poor  men  afraid  or  rich  men  ashamed. 
Men  in  public  life  should  be  careful  how  they  furnish  their 
houses  and  clothe  their  persons;  for  to  dress  in  such  vulgar 
garments  as  to  make  the  rich  ashamed,  or  in  such  courtly 
ones  as  to  make  the  poor  afraid,  is,  to  say  the  least  of  it, 
injudicious ;  good  and  great  men  should  trust  their  cause 
for  respect  chiefly  to  their  own  public  performances,  to 
*'  their  private  virtues,  and  to  the  more  estimable  and  exalted 
qualities  of  their  superior  minds. 

''Mr.  Clay  was  clothed  in  the  most  modest  suit  imaginable, 
and,  by  his  appearance,  made  us  feel  as  if  we  were  in  the 
presence  of  a  person  not  at  all  beneath  us,  nor  so  high  above 
us,  but  that  we  could  be  perfectly  easy,  and  speak  to  him 
what  we  wished  to  say,  and,  also,  to  ask  of  him  what  we 
desired  to  know.  In  person,  Mr.  Clay  would  be  esteemed 
tall,  and  he  is  very  well  formed;  his  whole  appearance 
strongly  represented  to  me  the  person  of  a  very  respectable 
Presbyterian  or  Episcopalian  clergyman  in  the  advance 
of  life. 

''There  is  nothing  striking  in  the  expression  of  Mr. 
Clay's  face  while  at  ease  or  unoccupied,  but  it  may  be,  and 
I  dare  say  it  is,*very  different,,  when  all  his  features  are 


312  LIFE   OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCOTT. 

lighted  up  by  the  inspiration  of  a  great  political  question, 
and  he  stands  in  the  halls  of  legislation,  surrounded  by 
innumerable  admiring  statesmen,  lawyers,  ambassadors, 
orators,  and  men  of  science,  pouring  forth,  on  a  great 
topic,  in  deep,  mellow  tones,  the  unconstrained  deluge  of 
his  superior  eloquence.  There  is,  in  the  contour  of  his 
face,  more  reflection  than  perception ;  and  his  eye,  conse- 
quently, discovers  more  of  the  sedateness  of  supreme  talent 
than  the  restlessness  of  peculiar  genius.  He  is  exceedingly 
good  looking,  and  has  a  kind,  condescending  address. 

''As  we  had  seen  the  great  lawyer  and  statesman,  Henry 
Clay,  so  we  felt  anxious  to  see  the  great  soldier  and  states- 
man. Colonel  Richard  M.  Johnson,  also.  Accordingly, 
we  set  out,  after  our  return  to  Georgetown,  in  company 
with  his  brother,  John  T.  Johnson,  to  the  place  of  the 
Colonel's  residence,  a  distance  of  about  seven  miles.  The 
colonel  gave  us  a  round,  hearty  welcome,  as  was  befitting 
a  soldier,  and  willing  to  gratify  us  by  every  means  in  his 
power.  Being  requested,  he  spoke  freely  of  the  battle 
of  the  Thames,  and  of  his  own  encounter  with  Chief 
Tecumseh;  but  I  learned  afterward,  from  an  account  of 
that  well-fought  field,  which  I  got  from  Captain  Wall,  who  * 
was  one  of  the  forlorn  hope  in  the  fray,  that  the  colonel 
had  suppressed  several  very  striking  incidents  relative  to 
his  own  personal  bravery  and  patriotism  on  that  dreadful 
day.  It  was  truly  affecting  to  behold  the  wounds  of  this 
gallant  old  soldier.  The  bullet  shot  by  Tecumseh  passed 
through  his  hand  and  arm,  and  must  have  reached  his 
heart  had  it  not  been  thus  intercepted  ;  he  has,  also,  a  very 
dangerous  looking  wound  on  one  of  his  legs;  and  it  is  said 
that  his  mare  staggered  under  him  while  he  shot  Tecumseh 
with  no  fewer  than  seven  balls  in  her.  The  colonel  showed 
us  three  swords :  one  presented  to  him  by  the  patriotic 
ladies  of  Scott  County,  Kentucky;  another,  which  had 
belonged  to  the  Duke  of  Suffolk,  and  was  presented  to  the 
colonel  by  General  McComb,  of  the  Unif^d  States  Army ; 


THE  GOSPEL  RESTORED,  313 

and  the  third,  the  sword  presented  to  him  by  Congress  as 
a  testimony  of  that  body's  respect  for  his  gallant  conduct 
at  the  battle  of  the  Thames.  It  cost,  I  believe,  twelve 
hundred  dollars." 

He  visited  several  other  points,  making,  every- 
where a  good  impression,  and  the  result  was  frequent 
visits,  in  after  years,  which  were  attended  by  the 
conversion  of  hundreds,  and  the  upbuilding  of  the 
saints. 

In  the  year  following  he  began  and  completed  his 
book  called  "The  Gospel  Restored,"  a  full,  clear,  and 
systematic  view  of  the  Christian  Religion,  of  which 
it  may  be  safely  said,  that  no  book  of  the  present 
century  has  done  more  to  explode  common  and 
popular  errors,  and  set  forth  the  teachings  of  the 
Word  of  God  in  their  pristine  order,  simplicity,  and 
beauty.  The  plan  of  the  work  is  simple,  yet  com- 
prehensive, being  an  analysis  of  sin  ;  and  the  gospel 
is  presented  as  the  means  of  recovery  of  man  from 
its  power  and  punishment.  He  says  :  "  In  regard  to 
sinners  and  sin,  six  things  are  to  be  considered  :  the 
love  of  it,  the  practice  of  it,  the  state  of  it,  the  guilt 
of  it,  the  power  of  it,  and  the  punishment  of  it.  The 
first  three  relate  to  the  sinner  ;  the  last  three  to  sin. 
Now,  faith,  repentance,  and  baptism,  refer  to  the  first 
three — the  love,  the  practice,  and  the  state  of  sin  ; 
while  remission,  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  the  resurrection, 
relate  to  the  last  three — the  guilt,  the  power,  and  the 
punishment  of  sin;  in  other  words,  to  make  us  see 
the  beauty  and  perfection  of  the  gospel  theory,  as 
devised  by  God  :  faith  is  to  destroy  the  love  of  sin, 
repentance  to  destroy  the  practice  of  it  ;  baptism, 
the  state  of  it ;  remission,  the  guilt  of  it ;  the  Spirit, 
27 


314  ///7:  OF  ELDER  WALTER  SCOTT. 

the  power  of  it ;  and  the  resurrection  to  destroy  the 
punishment  of  sin  ;  so  that  the  last  enemy,  death, 
will  be  destroyed." 

The  efifect  of  this  volume  may  be  learned,  in  a 
measure,  from  an  incident  which  took  place  about  a 
quarter  of  a  century  after.  While  on  a  visit  to  Mis- 
souri, Elder  Scott  met  with  the  well-known  Elder 
M.  E.  Lard,  who  threw  his  arm  around  him,  and, 
with  great  warmth  of  feeling,  said  :  **  Bro.  Scott,  you 
are  the  man  w^io  first  taught  me  the  gospel."  "  How 
so.''"  was  the  reply."  **It  was  by  your  Gospel  Re- 
stored," said  Lard ;  and  this  was  only  one  instance 
among  hundreds  ;  and  it  is  common  yet  to  hear  from 
the  pulpit  his  simple,  natural,  and  Scriptural  arrange- 
ment of  the  gospel  plan. 

The  visit  of  Elder  Scott  to  Kentucky,  already  men- 
tioned, resulted  in  many  others  at  the  earnest  solicita- 
tions of  brethren  there.  Each  visit  seemed  to  make 
another  necessary  ;  the  converts,  made  on  each  of 
these  visits,  were  greatly  attached  to  him,  who  had 
been  instrumental  in  bringing  them  to  Christ ;  the 
new  congregations  established  needed  his  care  and 
counsel ;  and  the  result  was  that  most  of  his  time  was 
now  spent  in  that  State. 

He  did  not,  however,  forget  his  labors  and  priva- 
tions on  the  Western  Reserve,  nor  was  he  forgotten 
there  ;  frequent  and  earnest  invitations  came  from 
his  former  companions  in  toil ;  and  the  feeling  that  led 
the  Apostle  Jolm  to  say  that  he  had  no  greater  joy 
than  to  see  his  children  walk  in  the  truth,  caused  him 
to  earnestly  desire  to  see  again  their  faces  in  the 
flesh.  This  desire  he  gratified,  and  he  gives  the  fol- 
lowing account  of  his  visit : 


risrj's  BETI/Axv  315 

"Having  labored  for  upward  of  a  year  amorg  the 
churches  of  Kentucky,  we  came,  finally,  to  the  conclusion, 
in  October  last,  to  visit  the  brethren  of  Pittsburg,  and  the 
churches  on  the  Western  Reserve,  the  region  in  which  the 
original  gospel  was,  in  these  latter  times,  first  proclaimed 
for  salvation.  Accordingly,  availing  ourselves  of  the 
facilities  of  a  steamer,  we  set  out,  in  company  with 
brethren  Pendleton  and  Campbell,  for  these  parts.  We 
had  not  proceeded  many  miles  up  the  river,  till,  with  equal 
surprise  and  pleasure,  we  discovered  we  carried  aboard, 
together  with  her  daughter,  the  widow  of  the  late  illustri- 
ous patriot.  General  Alexander  Hamilton.  She  is  now  in 
her  84th  year;  had  been  on  a  visit  to  Wisconsin,  and  was 
returning  to  the  city  of  New  York,  her  usual  place  of  resi- 
dence. She  is  a  daughter  of  General  Schuyler,  and  is  much 
devoted  to  the  memory  of  her  husband,  of  whom  she  re- 
cited some  anecdotes  of  intense  interest.  She  also  favored 
us  with  a  bosom  portrait  of  the  great  patriot,  and  said  that 
he  both  confessed  and  partook  of  the  Lord's  Supper  before 
he  expired,  testifying,  in  this  manner,  his  belief  in  the  ex- 
ceeding greatness  of  God's  mercy. 

''Bro.  Campbell  addressed  the  passengers  on  the  morn- 
ing of  Lord's  day,  on  which  occasion  Mrs.  Hamilton  and 
others  testified  their  great  satisfaction.  Our  voyage  to 
Wheeling  and  Wellsburg  was,  I  trust,  both  profitable  and 
pleasing.  At  this  latter  place  I  sojourned  for  a  night,  un- 
der the  roof  of  Dr.  Campbell,  a  gentleman  whose  hospi- 
tality must  ever  be  gratifying  to  the  feelings  of  his  guests. 
Li  the  morning  we  proceeded  to  Bethany,  where  I  spent 
another  night.  Hospitality,  kindness,  courtesy,  and  re- 
ligion, are  staple  virtues  there,  and,  during  our  brief  stay, 
w^e  partook  of  them  in  no  ordinary  degree.  Next  morn- 
ing, returning  to  Wellsburg,  we  spent  the  day  and  night  in 
the  family  of  Dr.  Grafton,  my  son  according  to  the  com- 
mon faith,  and  in  the  morning,  at  an  early  hour,  found 
myself  once  more  in  a  steamer  upon  the  bosom  of  la  belle 


3l6  LIFE  OF  ELDER    WALTER  SCOTT. 

riviere^  bound  for  Pittsburg,  where,  having  next  day  ar- 
rived, we  were  most  graciously  received  by  brother  Samuel 
Church,  who  soon  found  for  us  an  easy  and  agreeable  in- 
troduction to  the  brethren. 

*'  Touching  the  Allegheny  church  there  are  many  things 
to  be  admired.  To  each  new  convert,  for  example,  is  pre- 
sented, by  an  Elder,  and  accompanied  with  a  solemn  ex- 
hortation to  read  and  obey,  a  Polyglott  copy  of  the  Holy 
Scriptures.  This  is  very  striking.  They  also  hold  love- 
feasts,  at  which  all  who  attend  partake  of  some  slight  re- 
freshment, converse  freely,  pray,  and  sing  praises.  This 
enables  them  to  become  personally  acquainted  with  each 
other.  Their  overseer,  distinguished  for  every  grace  of 
faith  and  behavior,  and  as  eminent  for  the  munificence  of 
his  character  as  for  his  stainless  devotion  to  God,  and  to 
the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  his  blessed  Master,  is  aurlmirable  for 
the  great  care  and  solicitude  which  he  manifests  for  all 
the  flock  of  God. 

"  The  deacons  are  also  very  reputable  men,  with  a  busi- 
ness talent,  and  very  improvable  withal.  The  elders  and 
they,  together,  hold  what  they  call  a  meeting  of  the  pres- 
bytery every  Monday  evening,  when  the  interests  of  the 
church  are  attended  to,  and  the  bread  and  state  of  the 
poor  considered  with  great  care  and  munificence.  The 
overseer  teaches  the  church  for  an  hour  on  Lord's  day 
morning,  before  the  proclamation  of  the  gospel  at  eleven. 
The  brethren  speak  to  each  other,  and  are  interrogated  by 
the  bishop.  This  is  both  a  profitable  and  pleasing  exer- 
ci*se.  Besides  this  class  of  the  whole,  Bro.  Church  assumes 
the  arduous  but  pleasing  task  of  instructing  all  the  chil- 
dren of  the  congregation.  On  Monday  afternoon,  a  great 
number  of  children  recite  each  a  chapter.  Another  class, 
composed  of  younger  sisters,  and,  I  believe,  a  third,  of 
younger  men,  are  all  taught  by  this  indefatigable  guardian 
of  the  flock.  If  the  world  is  to  be  converted,  the  saints 
also  have  to  be  fed  and  instructed  ;  and  it  is  as  necessary 


rilE  ALLE  Gil  EN  Y  CIIL  'R  CH.  3  1 7 

th.it  the  first  i)rincii)lcs  and  privileges  of  the  gosi)eI  be 
announced  to  the  former,  as  that  the  commands,  worship, 
and  discipline,  be  taught  to  the  latter.  It  is  of  great  im- 
portance to  preserve  the  equilibrium  of  good  order,  and  to 
attend  to  both  of  these  ordinances  in  a  wise  ratio.  The 
church  of  Allegheny  discreetly  attends  to  both  according 
to  the  means  in  her  power;  therefore,  sinners  are  con- 
verted and  saints  instructed.  The  flock  is  at  once  fed  and 
increased.  The  church  of  Allegheny  is,  upon  the  whole, 
in  circumstances  of  the  greatest  comfort,  and  does,  at  pres- 
ent, present  us  with  some  of  the  fairest  specimens  of  piety, 
and  heavenly  and  divine  character,  that  we  have  ever  seen, 
or  ever  expect  to  see  on  earth. 

''Eleven  were  added  to  the  assembly  during  our  visit, 
one  of  them  a  relation  to  Bro.  Alexander  Campbell,  another 
a  daughter  of  Mr.  Church,  a  child  of  about  nine  or  ten 
years  of  age.  On  the  day  after  this  latter  was  baptized, 
taking  her  father  by  the  hand,  and  looking  up  in  his  face 
in  the  most  innocent  manner,  with  two  big  tears  ready  to 
drop  from  her  eyes,  she  exclaimed !  '  Father,  I  do  love 
Jesus  Christ — -I  feel  it  in  my  heart.'  This  offering  to  the 
goodness  of  the  Lord  was  wholly  voluntary.  'Out  of  the 
mouths  of  babes  and  sucklings  thou  hast  ordained  praise,' 
says  the  prophet. 

"After  tasting  of  the  greatest  satisfaction — after  the  most 
blessed  communion  with  the  church,  and  especially  with 
her  overseer — after  much  speaking,  with  many  prayers,  and 
joy  mingled  with  tears,  and  benedictions,  and  salutations, 
and  thanks,  and  many  favors,  we  were  dismissed  in  peace 
from  the  hospitable  mansion  of  the  overseer  of  this  flock, 
in  which  we  had  spent  a  few  weeks ;  the  joys  of  which 
seemed  to  atone  for  all  the  sufferings  which  many  years 
labor  had  made  us  heir  to.  Thanks  to  God  our  Father, 
and  to  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord. 

"We  now  set  out  for  the  Western  Reserve,  to  the 
'school  of  the  preachers,'  a  meeting  got  up  a  few  years  ago 


3l8  LIFE  OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCOTT. 

by  some  the  evangelists  for  their  niutual  improvement. 
Next  morning,  against  the  dawning  of  the  day,  we  had 
reached  Canfield,  and  soon  after  found  ourselves  under  the 
hospitable  roof  of  our  faithful  and  worthy  Bro.  Miram 
Sackett.  In  the  evening  we  reached  Warren,  the  county 
seat  of  Trumbull,  and  the  place  in  which  the  meeting  was 
appointed  to  be  held.  The  apostle  Peter  predicts,  perhaps, 
of  our  own  times,  that  scoffers  would  appear  who  should 
say,  that  'all  things  continued  as  they  were  from  the  be- 
ginning of  the  creation.'  It  is  very  probable  that  the 
Divine  Spirit  had  in  his  eye  those  infidel  philosophers, 
namely,  Hume,  Gibbon,  and  Volney,  whose  favorite  doc- 
trine was  a  boasted  'uniform  experience.'  But  although 
we  can  not  give  in  to  the  doctrines  of  these  scoffers,  yet  we 
must  avow  that  it  would  have  been  exceedingly  pleasing  to 
us,  while  approaching  Warren,  could  we  have  known  cer- 
tainly that  all  things  continued  in  this  country  as  we  had 
left  them  eight  years  ago.  Our  apprehensions  had  thrown 
us  into  a  melancholy  which  had  lasted  the  entire  day,  and 
we  had  felt  as  if  the  righteous  were  all  dead ;  we  had 
watered  the  land  with  our  tears.  But  our  arrival  in  War- 
ren dispelled  our  apprehensions  by  the  appearance  of 
almost  all  our  former  associates.  Besides  our  numerous 
acquaintances,  who  had  their  residence  in  the  town,  many 
from  the  surrounding  country,  and  even  remote  regions, 
were  present  at  the  meeting;  and  we  had  the  pleasure  of 
seeing  nearly  all  the  evangelists  of  the  land,  namely.  Breth- 
ren Atwater,  Clapp,  Rudolph,  Hayden,  Henry,  Bosworth, 
Hartsel,  Bentley,  and  many  others.  But  such  was  the  ex- 
citement on  all  sides,  that  two  days  had  wholly  past  before 
I  felt  myself  able  to  command  my  feelings.  The  sight  of 
such  a  vast  number  of  disciples,  the  chief  of  whom  I  had 
introduced  into  the  kingdom  of  God  with  my  own  hands; 
the  memory  of  their  original  courage  and  first  love;  the 
scorn  which  they  endured  while  yet  our  views  of  the  gospel 
were  novel  and  misapprehended;  their  many  tears,  their 


A  DISTIXGUISIIED   CONVERT.  319 

contrition,  and  our  own  fears  and  endurance  for  their  sake; 
the  sweet  communion  which  was  then  enjoyed ;  their 
former  experience,  and  their  present  evident  fidelity  to 
their  profession,  the  faces  of  all  being  perfectly  known  to 
me,  conspired  together  on  the  occasion  to  spur  my  feel- 
ings to  the  utmost,  and  to  fill  me  with  an  indescribable 
sentiment  of  joy  and  wonder,  mingled  with  a  sprinkling  of 
sorrow  for  those  whom  I  perceived  to  be  absent,  either  by 
death  or  removal  to  other  countries,  or  by  some  other 
cause. 

*'The  meeting  was  held  from  Friday  evening  till  Thurs- 
day evening;  and  such  was  the  ui-gency  of  the  case,  that 
we  could  not  leave  till  Monday  following.  Bro.  Bentley, 
alike  'gentle  and  easy  to  be  entreated,'  abode  with  us,  and 
truly  we  were  in  heavenly  places  in  Christ.  In  all,  thirteen 
were  added  to  the  disciples,  and  the  meeting  concluded. 
We  again  descended  to  the  Ohio  River,  touched  at  Wells- 
burg,  abode  two  days  at  Wheeling,  and  finding  that  the 
ice  was  accumulating  in  the  river,  were  compelled,  in  spite 
of  our  original  intentions,  to  quit  those  regions  where  so 
many  of  our  beloved  brethren  dwell ;  and,  without  seeing 
them,  returned  to  our  usual  residence,  Carthage,  where  we 
arrived  after  having  been  absent  just  two  months." 

In  August  of  the  same  year,  he  received  a  letter 
from  the  Rev,  J.  B.  Lucas,  President  of  the  Methodist 
Protestant  Church,  informing  him  that  he  fully  sym- 
pathized with  the  view^s  of  the  "  Disciples,"  and 
wished  to  change  his  religious  position  so  that  he 
could  freely  preach  what  he  firmly  believed.  He  had 
for  some  time  refused  to  baptize  infants,  as  he  held  it 
to  be  unscriptural  ;  and  v^ent  so  far  as  to  refuse  to 
administer  the  ordinance  to  adults  except  by  immer- 
sion ;  and  though  held  in  great  esteem  among  his  own 
people,  on  account  of  his  abilities,  which  were  of  a  high 


320  LIFE  OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCOTT. 

order,  and  the  great  success  that  had  attended  his 
labors,  and  enjoying  the  highest  position  known  in  that 
body,  he  felt  that  he  could  labor  best  with  the  people 
whose  views  he  had  been  led  to  adopt.  Elder  Scott, 
in  reply,  informed  him  that  there  would  be  a  General 
Meeting  at  Carthage  early  in  September, -and  cordially 
invited  him  to  be  present.  He  accepted  the  invita- 
tion;  was  formally  received  by  the  brotherhood,  and 
preached  a  number  of  discourses  at  Carthage,  making 
a  deep  impression  upon  the  public  mind,  and  persuad- 
ing a  number  to  turn  from  the  error  of  their  ways. 
Several  other  ministers  of  that,  and  other  denomina- 
tions, about  that  time,  made  a  similar  change,  and 
were  gladly  welcomed  by  Scott  as  fellow-laborers. 

His  visit  to  the  Reserve  the  previous  year,  so  far 
from  satisfying  the  brethren  there,  only  increased 
their  desire  to  have  him  among  them  again,  and 
earnest  and  tender  epistles  urging  him  to  return  were 
frequent.  One  of  these,  from  the  beloved  Bro.  Bent- 
ley,  was  as  follows : 

''My  Dear  Brother  Scott: 

''This  letter  leaves  me  and  my  family  in  usual  health, 
for  which  I  can  not  sufficiently  express  the  gratitude  due  to 
our  adorable  heavenly  Father.  We  hope  it  goes  to  find 
you  and  family  in  the  enjoyment  of  the  same  blessing.  I 
write  this  letter  by  request  of  your  numerous  friends,  who 
are  anxious  to  see  you,  and  who  anticipate  a  gratification 
of  their  wishes,  the  Lord  willing,  on  the  Friday  preceding 
the  first  Lord's  day  in  November,  at  one  o'clock,  P.  M. 
We  feel  as  though  we  could,  with  propriety,  solicit  a  per- 
sonal interview  with  Bro.  Campbell  and  yourself.  Know- 
ing that  your  presence  and  labors  will  create  a  desire  in 
others  to  read  your  works,  and  in  reading,  to  find  assistance 


LETTER  FROM  ELDER  BENTLEY.  32  I 

how  to  understand  God's  nietl^.od  of  saving  sinners,  as  re- 
corded in  his  holy  Word.  We  also  feel  as  though  we  had 
a  si)ccial  claim  U])on  yourself,  as  this  part  of  the  country 
is  the  field  you  first  occupied,  and  where  God  honored  )ou 
as  the  restorer  of  the  ancient  gospel.  You  can  never  for- 
get" New  Lisbon  and  Warren,  those  places  where  it  com- 
menced and  whence  it  sounded  out  and  has  spread  into 
every  quarter  of  our  globe.  It  is  a  great  consolation  to 
me  when  I  reflect  that  God  honored  me  with  being  your 
companion  in  labor  at  that  time ;  and  to  associate  me  with 
you  and  the  venerable  Thomas  Campbell,  who  came  to 
your  assistance,  and  who  labored  so  indefatigably  for  five 
months,  and  bore  with  us  the  contradiction  of  sinners.  I 
shall  never  forget  the  battle  we  fought  at  Sharon,  on  the 
Shenango ;  nor  will  you  forget  the  tears  which  ran  down 
the  manly  cheek  of  father  Campbell,  when  he  beheld  the 
distraction  of  the  church  of  God,  and  the  rejection  of  the 
lambs  of  Christ  by  the  Baptists,  because  they  would  not 
renounce  their  respect  for  us  who  had  been  instrumental 
in  converting  them  from  sin  and  sectarianism,  to  the 
service  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 

"Shall  it  be  that,  at  our  November  meeting,  we  shall  be 
deprived,  in  this  part  of  the  State,  where  the  gospel  was 
restored,  of  the  presence  of  father  Campbell,  Alexander, 
Bro.  Rains,  and  yourself?  I  trust  not.  Bro.  Alexander 
has  gone  to  the  South,  the  Lord  will  be  with  him  ;  father 
Campbell  to  Kentucky ;  Bro.  Rains  has  not  been  here  for 
many  years.  Bro.  Scott, -then,  will  come,  life  and  health 
permitting.  Blessed  be  God.  Now,  Bro.  Scott,  do  not 
let  ordinary  circumstances  prevent  your  coming." 

Such  an  invitation,  penned  by  such  a  person,  to  go 
to  a  place  where  hundreds,  through  his  labors,  had 
been  brought  to  God  through  the  gospel,  aroused  all 
the    tender    and    godly    anxiety    of    his    heart.      He 


322  Z IFE  OF  E  L  DE  R   \  VA  L  TEK  SCO  TT. 

realized  that  these  brethren  looked  on  him  much  as 
the  Galatians  did  upon  Paul,  and,  that  like  them,  if 
need  were,  would  pluck  out  their  eyes  and  give  them 
to  him  as  proof  of  their  affectionate  regard  ;  and 
though  many  obstacles  were  in  the  way,  he  set  them 
all  aside,  saying:  '*  I  must  see  them,  and  they  must 
see  me ;  nothing  short  of  this  will  please  either  of  the 
parties."  He  went,  and  again  hi:^  visit  was  a  bless- 
ing to  them,  and  a  joy  to  him.  This  was  repeated 
many  times,  and  the  only  sad  thing  at  all  these  re- 
unions was  the  sorrow  of  parting. 


JUS  IDEAL    OF  A   PREACHER.  323 


CHAPTER    XXI. 

His  ideal  of  a  preacher — Exordiums — Themes  for  the  ministr}' — Success 
attending  his  preaching — His  labors  at  threescore. 

EMINENT  as  Scott  was  as  a  preacher,  his  idfal 
'  was  far  above  his  own  best  endeavors.  Indeed, 
there  were  times  when  he  felt  himself  to  be  deficient 
in  the  elements  which  are  necessary  to  a  successful 
oral  exhibition  of  the  truth ;  for,  while  others  were 
admiring  his  power  in  the  pulpit,  and  wishing  that  a 
portion  of  that  power  were  their  own,  he  thought  so 
highly  of  what  a  preacher  should  be,  and  so  humbly 
of  his  own  efforts,  as  to  write  of  himself:  **  I  am  at 
present  in  this  large  city,  Cincinnati,  and  not  being 
endowed  by  nature  with  those  high  gifts  of  reasoning 
and  eloquence,  which  are  so  necessary  to  please  and 
instruct,  I  have  resolved,  by  the  help  of  the  Lord,  to 
avail  myself  of  the  advantages  afforded  by  the  press 
for  advocating  and  disseminating  the  principles  and 
science  of  eternal  life." 

This  view  arose,  doubtless,  from  his  failure  to  reach 
his  own  ideal,  and  his  consequent  dissatisfaction  with 
many  of  his  public  efforts,  which  he  regarded  as  fail- 
ures, failures  too,  which  could  not  be  retrieved  ;  and 
he  therefore  thought  it  best  to  devote  himself  more 
to  written  exhibitions  of  the  views  he  entertained,  as 
these  could  be  pruned  and  revised,  and  if  they  did 
not  come  up  to  his  severe  taste,  could  be  rejected, 
and  none  but  himself  be  the  wiser. 


3^4  LIFE  OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCOTT. 

Any  thing  like  failures  in  the  pulpit  he  dreaded  ; 
and  when  under  the  influence  of  that  feeling  would 
open  his  discourse  as  follows  :  "  Brethren  and  fellow- 
citizens  :  In  all  cases  of  public  speaking,  in  the  forum, 
at  the  bar,  or  in  the  pulpit,  what  is  attempted  should 
be  done  with  power.  Weakness  is  nearly  allied  to 
failure  which  admits  not  of  apology,  for  audiences  do 
not  assemble  to  be  tortured,  wearied,  disappointed,  but 
instructed,  persuaded,  delighted.  You  are  present 
this  evening  to  hear  of  Jesus  and  the  great  redemp- 
tion, and  I  to  address  you  on  these  solemn  and  de- 
lightful themes.  Tremblingly  alive  to  the  responsi- 
bilities of  the  occasion,  I  may  be  pardoned  if,  in  view 
of  them,  I  exclaim  with  the  holy  apostle,  *  Who  is 
sufficient  for  these  things.'''  David  says,  'When  I 
called  upon  thee,  thou  answeredst  me,  and  strength- 
enedst  me  with  strength  in  my  soul'  If  distrust  in 
my  own  powers  impels  me  to  place  a  higher  reliance 
on  God,  my  humility  shall  not  hurt  me.  Pray  for  me, 
then,  dear  audience,  that  he  who  faints  not,  neither  is 
weary,  may  strengthen  me  with  all  might  by  his 
Spirit  in  the  inner  man  ;  that  I  may,  with  all  saints, 
comprehend  the  heights  and  depths,  and  length  and 
breadth,  and  know  the  love  of  Christ  that  passeth 
knowledge  ;  that  I  may  be  filled  with  all  the  fullness 
of  God  ;  that  I  may  open  my  mouth  as  I  ought ;  and 
to  him  be  eternal  praises." 

At  other  times,  while  earnestly  desiring  to  profit 
his  hearers,  he  would  neither  conceal  from  them,  nor 
himself,  the  high  standard  which  they  should  erect, 
and  which  he  should  aim  to  reach  ;  making  the  ordeal 
most  difficult  by  arousing  a  critical  spirit  on  the  part 
of  the  audience,  and  yet  stimulating  his  own  powers 


EXORDIUMS.      ~  325 

by  the  magnitude  of  the  work  before  him,  an  in- 
stance of  which  we  subjoin  : 

"To  meet  all  the  conditions  of  a  fortunate  address 
is  exceedingly  difficult.  The  speaker  must  think 
correctly  and  extensively ;  he  must  employ  words 
that  precisely  sift  out  the  sense  ;  he  must  reason,  for 
a  speech  without  reasoning  is  like  a  song  without  a 
theme  ;  he  must  illustrate,  and,  withal,  adorn  ;  but  he 
must  not  be  uncharitable,  nor  severe,  nor  sophistical, 
nor  profuse,  nor  gaudy  in  the  use  of  the  graces  and 
.charms  of  his  rhetoric  ;  for  good  taste,  the  maxims 
and  usages,  the  manners  and  customs  of  educated 
society  forbid  it.  He  must,  therefore,  steer  clear  of 
these  unsocial  annoyances,  unless  he  would  incur, 
unnecessarily,  public  odium,  and  make  himself  the 
target  of  severe,  but  not  unmerited,  censure. 

"  The  theme  on  which  he  speaks  must  be  a  worthy 
one,  deserving  the  public  ear  ;  and  in  a  manner  most 
worthy  too,  must  he  meet  it.  He  must  clearly  dis- 
criminate between  his  subject,  as  the  essential,  and  its 
surroundings,  which  are  incidental ;  and  fully  develop 
and  fairly  discuss,  to  the  improvement  and  delight  of 
his  audience,  its  class  and  characteristics,  its  parts 
and  relations,  its  uses  and  abuses.  May  he,  who 
spake  as  never  man  spake,  anoint  at  once  with  his 
grace  and  power  our  lips  and  heart  ;  and  to  him  shall 
be  all  the  praise  of  a  successful  address." 

And  yet  the  natural  bent  of  his  genius  was  in  the 
direction  of  oratory,  and  in  his  most  impassioned, 
and  almost  inspired  moments,  he  would  reach  a 
beauty,  dignity,  and  warmth  of  expression,  which 
never  visited  him  in  his  cooler  efforts  in  his  study 
with  the  pen.     To  the  humble  views,  however,  which 


326  LIFE  OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCOTT. 

he  entertained  of  himself,  we  are  indebted  for  some 
most  admirable  productions,  which  shall  long  en- 
dure, distinguished  by  clear  analysis,  felicity  of  ex- 
pression, tenderness  of  sentiment,  and  close,  vigorous 
thought. 

But,  to  return.  His  ideal  of  a  preacher  w^as,  one 
who  made  Christ  ever  the  central  thought  and  in- 
spiration of  his  discourse  ;  one  who  dealt  not  so  much 
with' the  doctrines  of  Christ  as  with  Christ  himself; 
one  whose  chief  business  was  to  point  sinners  to  the 
Lamb  of  God.  And  yet  it  is  doubtful,  whether  any. 
uninspired  man  ever  came  nearer  this  model  than  he 
himself  unconsciously  did.  Christ,  his  nature,  offices, 
and  work,  were  his  chief — his  almost  constant 
themes — the  alpha  and  omega,  the  all  in  all. 

He  was  as  far  removed  as  possible  from  what  we 
understand  by  a  sensational  preacher  ;  his  great  re- 
liance was  upon  the  gospel  as  the  power  of  God  unto 
the  salvation  of  ever  one  that  believed  it ;  and  to  get 
that  gospel  clearly  before  the  minds  of  his  hearers, 
and  Christ  the  great  theme  of  that  gospel,  as  the 
one  altogether  lovely,  into  their  hearts,  was  the  end 
and  aim  of  every  discourse.  He  had  studied  the 
holy  Scriptures  until  he  had  made  even  their  very 
language  his  own  ;  the  teachings  of  the  Savior  he 
regarded  as  the  good  seed  of  the  kingdom,  and  he 
sought  to  sow  that  in  every  heart.  When  he  rose 
before  an  audience  it  was  to  deliver  the  message 
which  Christ  had  given  in  charge  to  his  apostles  ;  and 
he  was  careful  to  note  how  they  had  discharged  their 
mission,  and  aimed  to  imitate  them.  Of  no  preacher, 
of  modern  times,  could  it  be  said  with  greater  truth, 
"he  preached  Christ  unto  them."     He,  always,  first 


WHAT  IT  IS  TO  PNEACII  CHRIST.  327 

appealed  to  the  judgment,  and  when  lie  thouglit 
enough  had  been  said  to  produce  conviction,  he  used, 
with  great  power,  the  motives  of  the  gospel  to  in- 
duce to  action ;  the  promises,  to  allure  ;  the  threaten- 
ings,  to  alarm  ;  and,  with  a  pathos  rising  from  a 
realizing  sense  of  the  danger  of  his  hearers,  he  would, 
often  with  tears,  beseech  them  to  accept  the  offered 
grace. 

But  the  criticism  on  preachers,  and  preaching,  and 
the  plan  suggested  in  the  following  extract,  from  his 
pen,  will  give  his  views,  as  to  what  he  conceived  to 
be  the  work  of  a  preacher,  better  than  any  words 
of  ours  : 

"We  have  recently  listened  with  great  interest  and 
earnestness  to  certain  distinguished  advocates  of  the  gospel, 
both  in  our  own  ranks  and  the  ranks  of  other  professors, 
and  have  been  equally  grieved  and  amazed  at  the  exceed- 
ingly indirect  manner  in  which  Christ  is  preached. 

"How  is  it  that  so  many  are  blind  to  the  greatest  truths 
in  our  religion — that  Messiah  is  God's  Son?  How  is  it 
that  Mount  Calvary,  and  the  death-scene  there,  are  so  fre- 
quently evaded  ?  Where  is  the  preacher  who  can  manage 
with  effect  either  of  these  themes — the  greatest  in  the 
book  ?  Many,  we  doubt  not,  imagine  that  if  they  have  but 
reaped  what  others  had  sown,  if  they  have  but  baptized 
those  in  whose  minds  others  had  wrought  both  conviction 
and  conversion,  they  have  preached  Christ  and  done  won- 
ders. But  this  is  a  grand  mistake.  Preaching  Christ  is 
not  the  fugitive  and  ill-defined  thing  which  their  protean 
discourses  would  indicate.  The  statistics  of  his  nature  and 
offices,  who  he  is  and  what  he  does,  his  death  and  his  di- 
vinity, his  resurrection,  ascension,  glorification,  mediation, 
second  coming,  etc.,  do  manifestly  and  strictly  enter  into 
the  preaching  of  Christ.     It  would  be  grateful  to  our  feel- 


328  LIFE  OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCOTT. 

ings,  and  refreshing  to  our  conviction,  if  we  could,  truth- 
fully, say  of  any  preacher  even  this  much — he  can  pi  each 
*  Christ,'  if  he  can  not  preach  'him  crucified.'  Or  *  he  can 
preach  a  risen  Redeemer,  if  not  a  crucified  Savior.'  But 
it  is  not  often  we  are  warranted  in  saying  even  this  much 
of  the  speakers  of  the  day.  Our  convictions  on  the  point 
are  that  Christ  should  be  preached  in  such  a  manner  as  to 
force  the  convert  to  feel  that  in  obeying  the  gospel  lie  has 
come  under  the  eye  of  an  all-seeing  bishop  of  souls — an 
omnipresent  Master — an  omnipresent  authority — clothed 
nevertheless  with  salvation  and  mercy.  We  said,  twenty 
years  ago,  and  wrote  it  too,  that  there  was  in  the  Scrip- 
tures a  plan  of  preaching  Christ  followed  by  God,  by  the 
Son  of  God,  and  by  the  Spirit  of  God,  by  the  holy  Evan- 
gelists, and  by  the  holy  apostles  and  prophets.  Time,  age, 
and  experience  have  only  deepened  our  convictions  of 
this  truth.  But  we  said  also  that  that  plan  was  disregarded 
to  a  marvelous  extent  by  the  Christian  ministry.  Experi- 
ence has  rivetted  our  convictions  of  this  also.  But  to 
bring  my  meaning  within  the  range  of  the  reader's  appre- 
hension, we  go  to  a  protractgd  meeting.  It  is  got  up  for 
converting  purposes ;  and  it  is  continued  two,  three,  or  four 
weeks.  Well,  what  is  the  theme  ?  Every  thing  but  Christ. 
The  preaching  is,  perhaps,  a  chapter  of  accidents — a  game 
at  wedges,  the  last  is  the  largest,  dropping  out  all  the 
rest — an  endless  chain  of  truisms,  and,  it  may  be,  scrip- 
turisms,  but  not  Christ.  The  Scriptures  condemn  this 
plan.  Such  a  scheme  of  converting  and  preaching  has 
no  warrant  from  the  Word  of  God.     We  listened,  a  few 

days  since,   to  the   Rev.  Mr.    R 's  last   effort,   his 

expiring  effort,  at  a  fruitless  jneeting  held  in  the  city  of 
Lexington  for  converting  the  citizens.  It  was  a  composi- 
tion, distinguished  for  grace  and  literary  finish,  on  the  art 
of  raising  money  1  Again,  we  listened  to  the  speeches  of 
another  man  at  a  similar  meeting  in  a  different  town,  and 
what  were  they  ?     Fire  and  brimstone — a  brow-beating  of 


CHRIST  AXD  IIIM  OXL  Y.  329 

the  audience,  utterly  unalleviated  by  the  introduction  of 
an}'  part  of  the  structure  of  the  gospel.  The  quid  est  was 
totally  discarded,  the  quid oportet  was  all  in  all  ;  but  Christ 
was  nothing — absolutely  neglected.  Again,  we  recently 
gave  a  hearing  to  a  third  orator  on  divine  matters  famous 
among  the  Baptists.  His  theme  was  the  'soul,'  and,  as  a 
speech,  it  wanted  neither  unity,  variety,  progression  of 
thought,  passion,  strength,  or  splendor — but  was  passable 
for  all  these ;  but  then  it  was  only  one  of  twenty  isolated 
speeches,  not  more  than  one  of  wdiich  had  for  its  caption 
*  Christ  Jesus.'  Now,  what  we  would  like  to  see  is  this — 
that  a  preacher  would  take  '  Christ '  as  the  heading  to  a 
series  of  discourses,  and  on  every  one  of  them  preach  him, 
and  him  only.  Say  he  would  preach  h'is  grand  nature — his 
divinity,  thus  : 

"  I.  As  the  'open  secret,'  or  great  mystery  of  the 
gospel. 

"2.   As  an  oracle  of  Jewish  prophecy. 

"3.   As  a  fact  developed  in  history. 

"4.   A  truth  revealed  by  the  Father  to  the  Jews. 

''5.   The  only  thing  revealed  by  him  in  our  religion. 

'*  6.  The  truth  for  which  Christ  died. 

"7.   The  truth  for  which  he  died  on  oath. 

"■  8.  As  the  subject  of  the  Evangelical  testimony. 

"9.   The  creed  of  the  primitive  converts. 

'*  10.   The  grand  confession  in  Christianity. 

'*  II.  As  confessed  by  the  apostles. 

''12.  As  confessed  by  Christ. 

"  13.  As  confessed  by  God  the  Father. 

"14.  As  the  truth  commanded  to  be  preached  to  all 
nations. 

''15.  As  the  basis  of  the  church. 

"  16.  As  the  truth  proved  in  our  religion. 

**  17.   As  the  greatest  truth  in  our  religion. 

*'  18.   As  the  greatest  miracle. 

"  19.  The  truth  re-announced  on  Mount  Tabor  as  the 
2'^ 


330  LIFE  01'    ELDER   WALTER  SCOTT. 

basis  of  the  future  or  glorious  kingdom  of  Christ.  See 
Matt.,   17th  chapter. 

''  20.  The  only  truth  broad  and  deep  enough  to  sustain, 
in  all  her  weight  and  extent,  the  church. 

"21.  His  nature  as  greater  than  his  work,  or  what  he 
is  greater  than  what  he  does.  His  divinity  as  it  excels 
his  death  and  all  other  things  in  the  gospel. 

'*  22.   The  truth  on  which  the  Jews  were  fatally  wrong. 

*'  23.  The  truth  on  which  the  Jewish  vessel  of  State 
struck,  and  broke,  and  went  down,  on  the  great  ocean  of 
political  existence. 

''  24.  As  the  truth  over  which  they  stumble  to  this  day; 
for  they  can  not,  even  now,  believe  the  Messiah  to  be  di- 
vine.    They  still  think  him  but  David's  son. 

''Here,  then,  are  the  themes  for  a  protracted  meeting. 
Here  is  a  good  week's  work  in  preaching.  This  is  the  true 
material.  Who  can  handle  these?  Who  does  handle 
these  ?  Yet  to  do  this  is,  strictly  speaking,  to  preach  Christ. 
He  is  the  theme  of  all  these  themes.  When  a  man  has  ex- 
hausted the  themes  which  respect  Christ  personally,  it 
would  then  become  him  to  introduce  those  that  relate  to 
Christ  officially,  and  to  speak  of  him  as  the  Son  of  God 
with  authority,  with  salvation,  justification,  reconciliation. 
But  one  thing  at  a  time,  Christ  first,  and  Christ  in  au- 
thority afterward." 

He  was  accustomed  to  go  to  Christ  rather  than  to 
the  apostles — to  draw  from  the  Evangelists  rather 
than  the  Epistles.  He  was,  emphatically,  a  gospel 
preacher,  one  who  entertained  a  very  special  regard 
for  the  writings  of  the  Evangelists.  He  says  of  them  : 
"These  form  the  ground-work  of  our  faith  in  Chris- 
tianity ;  they  contain  the  immediate  evidence  of  its 
divine  origin  ;  they  are  the  pillars  and  the  gate-way 
of  the  holy  temple;  the  bulwarks  of  the  new  insti- 


PULPIT  THEMES.  33  I 

tution,ancl  citadel  of  the  Christian  religion,  which  have 
withstood  the  shock  of  the  heaviest  ordnance  and  ar- 
tillery from  the  heaviest  batteries  of  all  our  enemies 
since  the  age  began.  Our  children  should  be  made  to 
suck  them  in  with  their  mother's  milk,  and  our  Evan- 
gelists repeat  them  with  alphabetical  correctness  and 
facility.  Most  worthy  are  they  to  be  studied  and  un- 
derstood, and  I  am  not  ashamed  to  confess  for  them 
my  special  regard.  I  am  not  ashamed  to  acknowledge 
that  twice  a  week  for  twenty-two  months  at  a  stretch 
have  I  discoursed  on  the  Evangelist  Matthew,  alone. 
It  is  by  these  divine  narratives  the  Christian  religion 
is  to  spread,  because  by  them,  alone,  the  world  can 
be  assured  that  Jesus  is  the  Christ ;  it  is  in  them  the 
proclaimer  must  search  for  the  themes  which  win  the 
souls  of  men  ;  there  it  is  the  Lord  is  exhibited  in 
proper  form.  His  birth,  his  public  ministry,  his  en- 
trance upon  the  same  at  Jordan,  his  miracles,  his 
doctrine,  his  defense  of  himself  as  the  Messiah  of 
God,  his  temptations,  moral  virtues,  prodigious  and 
incomprehensible  wisdom,  his  divine  nature,  his  trial, 
condemnation,  death,  burial,  resurrection,  ascension, 
and  glorification  are  all  there  ;  but,  indeed,  the  en- 
lightened Evangelist  will  perceive  that  every  page, 
every  miracle,  every  thing  in  these  glorious  oracles 
open,  to  the  proclaimer  of  the  gospel,  an  infinitely 
various  and  brilliant  field  for  the  instruction  of  the 
world.  If  any  man  would  work  faith  in  his  audience, 
let  him  give  his  days  and  nights,  and  weeks  and 
years,  to  the  study  of  the  Evangelists." 

That  his  theory  with  regard  to  the  true  method 
of  preaching  was  correct,  was  frequently  and  fully 
demonstrated  by  the  numerous  conversions  by  which 


332  LIFE  OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCOTT. 

his  labors  were  attended.  For  a  period  of  over 
thirty  years,  few  men  had  greater  success  as  an  Evan- 
gehst  than  he;  as  many  as  one  hundred  converts 
within  a  month  was  not  unusual,  and,  on  some  occa- 
sions, nearly  that  number  in  a  few  days  ;  and  he  often 
baptized  the  converts  with  his  own  hands.  But  his 
success  and  method  of  preaching  may  best  be  learned 
from  a  few  instances.     He  writes  : 

In  company  with  our  worthy  brother,  L.  H.  Jameson, 
we  visited  Highland  County,  Ohio,  and  labored  at  two  or 
three  points  there  during  two  weeks  and  a  day.  Seventy- 
seven  persons  in  that  period  were  added  to  the  assemblies 
of  Christ,  and  many  hundreds  of  people  heard  the  word 
of  the  Lord.  The  season  reminded  us  of  the  happy,  but 
affecting  period  of  1827,  when  we  stood  alone  in  our  pres- 
ent views  of  the  gospel  and  announced  repentance  and  re- 
mission to  the  astonished  and  unreformed  multitudes  who 
attended,  no  man  taking  our  part ;  but,  like  our  betters, 
whom  we  followed,  the  apostles,  were  made  a  spectacle  to 
angels  and  men. 

"If  there  be  any  propriety  in  our  mode  of  developing 
the  gospel,  we  would  wish  to  inform  the  Evangelists  some- 
what of.it,  that  as  we  have  ever  been  fortunate  in  the  an- 
nunciation of  the  great  salvation  on  this  plan,  they  also 
may  at  least  have  it  in  their  power  to  follow  the  same 
path. 

"i.  We  sculptured  out  and  made  stand  forth  in  the 
boldest  possible  relief  from  all  other  oracles  of  God,  his 
last,  his  greatest,  and  his  best  revelation,  namely : 

"  'Behold,  my  Son,  the  Beloved  in  whom  I  delight.' 

**It  was  not  to  prove  the  truth  of  this,  but  to  show 
that  the  great  oracle  is  fundamental,  and  the  thing  to  be 
believed  and  confessed,  in  order  to  the  obedience  of  the 
gospel  that  we  spake.     It  is  said   of  Paul  that  it  was  his 


ADVICE   TO  PREACHERS.  333 

manner  in  preaching  the  gospel  to  reason,  and  allege,  and 
prove  from  the  Scriptures  that  Jesus  was  the  Christ,  the 
Son  of  God.     See  Acts,  17th  chapter. 

"2.  The  next  topic  was  the  authority  on  which  this 
proposition  is  offered  to  us  for  belief,  viz. :  that  of  God 
the  Father. 

"  This  is  a  grand  and  delightful  theme,  and  should  be  de- 
veloped with  care  by  all  Evangelists.  On  the  above  topics 
every  preacher  of  the  gospel  should  model  a  discourse  and 
continue  to  speak  of  the  fundamental  proposition  and  the 
authority  on  which  it  is  offered  to  mankind,  until  he  per- 
fectly understands  them.  I  am  not  ashamed  to  confess 
that  it  has  cost  me  ten  years  labor  to  bring  into  order  the 
thoughts  which  I  have  learned  from  the  Scriptures  on  the 
first  principles  of  the  gospel  of  Christ;  and  I  am  perfectly 
willing  to  spend  ten  years  more  in  order  to  increase  my 
knowledge  and  improve  the  discourses  which  I  deliver  on 
these  principfes. 

''3.  We  next  showed  what  Christ  meant  by  building  his 
church  on  this  proposition. 

"4.  The  nature  of  the  Kingdom  of  God,  and  the  honor 
of  holding  the  keys  of  that  Kingdom,  and  of  opening  it, 
as  given  to  the  Apostle  Peter,  was  then  carefully  ex- 
plained. 

*'5..  Then  the  principles  and  privileges  of  Faith,  Re- 
pentance, Baptism,  Remission  of  Sins,  the  Holy  Spirit, 
and  the  Resurrection,  were  arranged,  defined,  and  dis- 
cussed, and  the  whole  gospel,  in  its  facts,  and  principles, 
and  its  blessings,  shown  to  be  adapted  at  once  to  the  wants 
and  powers  of  man. 

"Young  Evangelists,  let  your  fellow-laborer  prevail  with 
you  to  give  your  days  and  nights  to  these  fundamental 
themes,  and  never  leave  them  till  you  have  completed  a 
discourse  or  two  on  eSch  of  them.  And  let  them  be  de- 
livered in  love  and  with  fervent  zeal." 


334  LIFE  OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCOTT. 

Another  meeting  in  Kentucky  is  thus  noticed: 
"We  mention  this  success  only  because  it  occurred 
in  connection  with  the  preaching  of  '  the  appeavance 
and  kingdom '  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  to  his  peo- 
ple. We  lately  labored  seventeen  days  and  nights  in 
succession  at  Minerva,  Mason  County,  Kentucky. 
A  series  of  lectures  on  the  second  advent  took  a 
very  sensible  effect  on  the  disciples,  and  seemed  to 
have  no  small  influence  even  upon  the  world  ;  for 
when  we  changed  our  theme  and  substituted  the 
cross  for  the  crown — the  things  of  faith  for  those  of 
hope,  fifty  persons,  first  and  last,  believed  and  were 
immersed." 

He  returned  in  a  short  time  to  the  same  field,  and 
the  joint  labors  of  himself  and  others  were  crowned 
with  great  success— fifty  more  persons  being  gathered 
into  the  fold.  Several  years  after,  he  writes  from 
Versailles,  Woodford  County,  Kentucky : 

*'I  am  just  now  in  Versailles.  The  excitement  is  very 
great.  After  filling  an  appointment  at  Dover,  and  another 
at  Beasley's  Creek,  where  I  had  a  very  great  audience,  and 
where  the  church  embraces  many  well-tutored  saints,  and 
has  an  eldership  of  great  value  in  Christ  Jesus,  I  proceeded 
to  Paris,  toward  Lexington ;  but  hearing,  at  the  former  place, 
that  a  meeting  was  in  progress  at  Union,  I  turned  aside 
and  spent  the  night  under  the  hospitable  roof  of  the  be- 
loved in  Christ,  Elder  J.  Gano.  Next  morning  this  ex- 
cellent brother,  with  his  lady,  the  meekest  of  women, 
were  to  go  to  Georgetown,  so  that  I  had  the  pleasure  of 
journeying  thither  in  their  company.  A  protracted  meet- 
ing had  just  closed  at  Georgetown,  but  on  my  arrival  it 
was  re-opened,  and  Bro.  James  Challen,  greatly  beloved 
in  the  Lord,  coming  on  at  this  opportune  moment,  nine- 
teen accessions  were  made,  to  the  church  there.     Blessed 


THOMAS  MARSHALL.  335 

be  God.  I  visited  Midway  with  the  hope  of  spending  the 
Lord's  day  in  sweet  enjoyment  there,  in  company  with 
Doctor  Pinkerton,  the  zealous  in  the  Lord,  and  the  church 
of  God  in  that  place;  but  the  rain  was  so  great  and  con- 
tinuous that  the  brethren  could  not  even  assemble.  I  re- 
turned to  Lexington,  and  afterward  addressed  the  breth- 
ren in  that  city. 

"  I  also  filled  an  appointment  at  Union,  where  our  peo- 
ple and  the  Baptists  have  worked  with  such  dilligence  as 
to  leave  Evangelists  almost  nothing  to  do.  This  church 
embodies  many  of  the  excellent  of  the  earth.  Her  sons 
are  great  and  excellent  spirits,  renowned  for  purity  and 
generosity.  Midway  and  New  Union  are  very  famous  for 
doing  good. 

"A  meeting  was  in  progress  at  Versailles.  The  breth- 
ren were  pleased  to  invite  me  to  aid.  I  was  forced  to 
meet  their  wishes.  The  excitement  is  very  great.  I  have 
preached  and  spoken  three  times  a  day  for  one  week. 
And,  thanks  to  our  God  in  Christ  Jesus,  thirty  have 
already  made  the  good  confession.  Men  are  coming  in 
from  the  distance  of  seven  miles  to  meeting,  even  by 
night.  Old  impenitent  sinners,  who  have  not  been  seen 
at  meeting  for  seven  years  before,  have  found  their  way 
into  the  assembly,  and  several,  notorious  for  their  evil 
doings,  have  been  reclaimed.  Even  the  eloquent  orator, 
Thomas  Marshall,  has  felt  the  excitement,  and  found  out 
the  power  of  the  Lord.  He  was  present  last  evening, 
and  lent  his  devout  attention  to  my  discourse.  He  even 
came  up  from  the  remotest  corner  of  the  house,  where  he 
had  ensconced  himself  during  the  preachment,  and  stood 
boldly  by  the  side  of  the  pulpit.  He  even  asked  to  have 
the  humble  speaker  pointed  out  to  him,  and,  as  the  ex- 
hortation proceeded,  advanced  into  the  very  front  ranks 
of  the  lookers-on.  O  that  the  truth — the  love  of  God  to 
man — the  blood  of  the  cross  may  have  touched  his 
heart — his  eloquent,  but  misguided    heart.     If  he  forget 


33^  LIFE  OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCOTT. 

what  he  heard,  he  is  less  than  a  true-hearted  man  ;  but 
he  has  expressed  this  morning,  I  have  been  told,  his  ad- 
miration of  the  last  night's  development." 

But  a  short  time  before  this,  nineteen  were  added 
at  Georgetown,  and,  soon  after  the  meeting  at  Ver- 
sailles, between  thirty  and  forty  at  Grassy  Springs. 
At  this  period,  1847,  i^  "^"^^  ^^t  unusual,  for  him  to 
preach  twice  and  even  three  times  per  day  for  weeks 
in  succession.  Within  two  years  of  the  close' of  his 
life,  when  over  sixty  years  of  age,  he  wrote  :  "  I 
have  just  returned  from  a  galloping  excursion  into 
Garrard  County  ;  twenty  accessions  were  made  to 
the  good  cause,  and  I  have  immediately  to  return 
thither."  Two  weeks  after  this  he  writes  :  "  God, 
the  living  God,  is  not  an  idol  of  gold,  or  silver, 
or  brass,  or  wood,  or  stone,  but  the  true  God,  and 
our  everlasting  King.  My  life  has  been,  and  by  his 
help,  shall  be,  devoted  to  the  glory  of  his  name.  A 
few  days  ago,  by  stage  and  railroad,  I  traveled  seventy 
miles,  and  ate  no  meat  from  two  o'clock  in  the  morn- 
ing till  five  in  the  evening,  and  after  supper  had  to 
address  an  audience  waiting  for  me.  Twelve  persons 
have  already  presented  themselves  to  the  Lord.  I 
am,  thank  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  now  recovered  from 
fatigue,  and  more  animated  in  the  preaching  of  the 
Word,  than  at  any  former  period  of  my  life.  I  know 
that  the  weakness,  incident  to  age  must  overtake  me, 
if  I  live,  but  as  yet  I  am  as  strong  in  every  respect 
as  I  ever  was."  The  above,  which  might  be  indefin- 
itely extended,  may  serve  to  indicate  the  extent  and 
success  of  his  labors,  as  well  the  chief  themes  of  his 
public  addresses  ;  but  his  style  and  manner  as  a 
preacher  have  not  yet  been  told.     As  far  as  this  may 


COMPARED   IV I  TIT  CAMPBELL.  337 

be  done  at  all,  it  can,  perhaps,  best  be  done  by  a 
comparison  with  his  great  and  gifted  fellow-laborer, 
Alexander  Campbell,  to  which  end  we  devote  the  suc- 
ceeding chapter. 


29 


3oS  LIFE  OF  ELDER  WALTER  SCOTT. 


CHAPTER    XXII. 

Scott  and  Campbell  compared  as  preachers — Dr.  Humphrey's  estimate 
of  Campbell — Scott's  description  of  the  second  coming  of  Christ — 
Of  the  transfiguration — Sermon  at  Georgetown,  Kentucky. 

THE  names  of  Alexander  Campbell  and  Walter 
Scott  will  ever  be  linked  together,  as  workers, 
true  and  earnest,  in  the  same  noble  cause  ;  and  one 
will  as  readily  suggest  the  other,  as  the  name  of 
Luther  calls  up  that  of  Melancthon,  or  Wesley's  that 
of  Whitefield.  In  no  sense  were  they  rivals,  any  more 
than  Moses  and  Aaron,  or  Paul  or  Silas  ;  but  like 
them,  with  different  gifts,  devoting  their  lives  to  the 
accomplishment  of  the  same  glorious  end.  Camp- 
bell was  always  great  and  self-possessed  ;  Scott  sub- 
ject to  great  depression,  and,  consequently,  unequal 
in  his  public  efforts  ;  but  at  times  he  knew  a  rapture, 
which  seemed  almost  inspiration,  to  which  the  former 
was  a  stranger.  Campbell  never  fell  below  the  ex- 
pectation of  his  hearers,  Scott  frequently  did  ;  but 
there  were  times  when  he  rose  to  a  height  of  elo- 
quence which  the  former  never  equaled.  If  Camp- 
bell at  times  reminded  his  hearers  of  Paul  on  Mars 
Hill,  commanding  the  attention  of  the  assembled 
wisdom  of  Athens  ;  Scott,  in  his  happiest  moments, 
seemed  more  like  Peter. on  the  memorable  Pentecost, 
with  the  cloven  tongue  of  flame  on  his  head,  and  the 
inspiration  of  the  Spirit  of  Truth  in  his  heart,  while 
from   heart-pierced   sinners    on  every  side  rose  the 


COMPANED   WITH  CAMPBELL.  339 

agonizing    cry,    '*  ]\Ien     and     brethren,    what     shall 
we    do  ? " 

Few  men  '  have  convinced  more  skeptics  of  the 
folly  of  unbelief,  than  Alexander  Campbell.  Multi- 
tudes of  men,  confused  by  the  discords  and  distrac- 
tions of  religious  parties,  have  learned  from  his  teach- 
ing that  there  is  a  more  excellent  way  than  that  taught 
by  the  mere  sect  or  party,  and,  being  satisfied  that 
he  taught  the  way  of  God  in  truth,  have  walked  in 
it ;  and  yet,  though  he  thus  won  many  to  Christ, 
some  of  whom  have,  in  turn,  been  the  happy  instru- 
ments of  bringing  hundreds  and  thousands  to  the 
Savior,  he  never  moved  the  hearts  of  the  masses  in 
his  public  addresses,  as  did  Walter  Scott.  I  have 
heard  them  both,  frequently,  before  ordinary  congre- 
gations, and  assemblies  of  from  three  to  ten  thousand. 
I  never  listened  to  any  man  who  could  hold  the  atten- 
tion of  an  audience  longer  and  better  than  Alexander 
Campbell,  and  send  away  his  hearers  so  delighted 
and  instructed.  Walter  Scott,  on  ordinary,  and  even 
on  great  occasions,  would  often  fail  to  fix  the  atten- 
tion of  his  hearers  ;  of  this  he  was  painfully  con- 
scious, and  would  express  it  by  saying  the  smile  of  the 
Lord  was  not  on  him  ;  but  when  he  enjoyed  that  smile 
he  seemed  almost  inspired,  and  his  audience  wholly 
entranced.  Oh  !  how  lovely  he  could  make  Christ 
appear ;  how  dark  and  cruel  man's  ingratitude  !  Oh  ! 
how  he  could  paint  the  vileness  of  sin,  and  the  in- 
finite compassion  of  him  who  died  for  our  sins ! 
How  he  could  portray  the  woe  of  the  lost,  and  the 
bliss  of  the  saved  ;  of  heaven  the  glory  and  of  hell 
the  gloom  ;  and  with  what  earnest  and  aftectionate 


340  LIFE   OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCOTT. 

tenderness  he  would  entreat  and  beseech  lost  sinners 
to  be  reconciled  to  God. 

Campbell  addressed  himself  mainly  to  the  under- 
standing of  his  hearers,  and  was,  confessedly,  one  of 
the  ablest  controversialists  of  his  day  ;  Scott  did  not 
forget  that  the  mind  must  be  enlightened,  and  the 
judgment  convinced,  and  few  men  were  clearer  or 
more  convincing  in  their  exhibitions  of  truth  ;  but 
when  that  was  accomplished  he  drove  right  at  the 
heart. 

Lest  any  one  should  think  that  I  am  writing  in 
the  spirit  of  a  partisan,  and  using  colors  too  warm 
and  bright,  I  will  introduce  the  testimony  of  one 
well  qualified  to  judge  with  regard  to  Alexander 
Campbell  as  a  preacher,  and  one,  too,  to  whom  even 
the  suspicion  of  partiality  does  not  attach.  It  is  the 
testimony  of  the  Rev.  Heman  Humphrey,  D.  D., 
once  President  of  Amherst  College,  a  learned  and 
eloquent  Presbyterian  minister,  who  heard  Mr. 
Campbell,  not  in  his  prime,  but  when  some  sixty- 
five  winters  had  frosted  his  hair,  and,  in  some  de- 
gree, chilled  the  ardor  by  which  he  was  in  earlier 
life  distinguished.  His  account  strikingly  corrobo- 
rates what  I  have  written,  and  gives  the  reader  a 
good  idea  of  the  personal  appearance-  and  manner 
of  the  speaker.     It  is  as  follows  : 

*'At  length  Dr,  Campbell  made  his  way  up 
through  the  crowd,  and  took  his  seat  in  the  pulpit. 
He  is  somewhat  above  the  middle  stature,  with 
broad  shoulders,  a  little  stooping,  and,  though  stouUy 
built,  rather  spare  and  pale.  He  has  a  high,  intel- 
lectual forehead,  a  keen,  dark  eye,  somewhat  shaded, 
and  a  well-covered  head  of  gray  hair,  fast  changing 


D  ESC  RIP  1  VOX  OF  CA  MPBEL  L.  3  4  I 

into  the  full  bloom  of  the  almond  tree.  I  think  he 
must  be  rather  over  than  under  sixty-five  years  of 
age.  He  looks  like  a  hard-working  man,  as  he  has 
been  from  his  youth  up.  Very  few  could  have  en- 
dured so  much  mental  and  physical  labor  as  has 
raised  him  to  the  commanding  position  which  he  oc- 
cupies, and  so  long  sustained  him  in  it.  His  voice 
is  not  strong,  evidently  owing,  in  part  at  least,  to  the 
indifferent  state  of  his  health,  but  it  is  clear  and 
finely  modulated.  His  enunciation  is  distinct,  and, 
as  he  uses  no  notes,  his  language  is  remarkably  pure 
and  select.  In  his  delivery,  he  has  not  much  action, 
and  but  little  of  that  fervid  outpouring  which  char- 
acterizes western  and  southern  eloquence.  There  is 
nothing  vociferous  and  impassioned  in  his  manner.  I 
think  he  is  the  most  perfectly  self-possessed,  the  most 
perfectly  at  ease  in  the  pulpit,  of  any  preacher  I  ever 
listened  to,  except,  perhaps,  the  celebrated  Dr.  John 
Mason,  of  New  York.  No  gentleman  could  be  more 
free  and  unembarrassed  in  his  own  parlor.  At  the 
same  time,  there  was  not  the  least  apparent  want  of 
deference  for  his  audience. 

"In  laying  out  his  work,  his  statements  are  simple, 
clear,  and  concise ;  his  topics  are  well  and  logically 
arranged,  his  reasoning  calm  and  deliberate,  but  full 
of  assurance.  His  appeals  are  not  very  earnest,  nor 
indicative  of  deep  feeling;  but,  nevertheless,  winning 
and  impressive  in  a  high  degree.  There  were  many 
fine,  and  some  truly  eloquent  passages  in  the  two  dis- 
courses which  I  heard,  but  they  seemed  to  cost  him 
no  effort,  and  to  betray  no  consciousness  on  his  part 
that  they  were  fine.  In  listening  to  him  you  feel 
that   you   are   in   the  presence  of  a  great  man.     He 


342  LIFE   OF  ELDER  WALTER  SCOTT. 

speaks  like  a  'master  of  assemblies,'  who  has  entire 
confidence  in  the  mastery  of  his  subject  and  his 
i:)Owers,  and  who  expects  to  carry  conviction  to  the 
minds  of  his  hearers  without  any  of  those  adventi- 
tious aids  on  which  ordinary  men  find  it  necessary  to 
rely.  On  both  evenings,  when  I  heard  him,  he  held 
the  great  congregation,  for  an  hour  and  a  half,  in  that 
profound  stillness  which  shows  that  his  listeners  are 
not  aware  of  the  lapse  of  time. 

"Dr.  Campbell's  first  discourse  was  an  exceedingly 
interesting  eulogy,  if  I  may  so  call  it,  upon  the  Bible, 
glancing  rapidly  at  some  of  the  internal  proofs  of  its 
divine  origin,  dwelling,  as  much  as  his  time  would 
allow,  upon  its  wonderful  history,  biography,  and 
prophecies,  and,  following  the  sacred  stream  down 
through  the  several  dispensations,  or,  as  he  expressed 
it,  through  'the  star-light  and  moon-light  ages  of  the 
patriarchs,  and  of  the  Jewish  commonwealth,'  till  the 
glorious  Sun  of  Righteousness  rose  upon  the  world, 
and  introduced  the  Christian  era. 

"The  text  on  the  following  evening  was,  'Great  is 
the  mystery  of  Godliness,'  etc.  It  was  an  able  and 
orthodox  discourse  throughout.  He  dwelt  chiefly 
upon  the  two  clauses  of  the  text,  'justified  in  the 
Spirit,  received  up  into  glory;'  and  I  can  not,  in 
justice,  refrain  from  acknowledging,  that  I  never  re- 
member to  have  listened  to,  or  to  have  read  a  more 
thrilling  outburst  of  sacred  eloquence,  than  when  he 
came  to  the  scene  of  the  coronation  of  Christ,  and 
quoted  that  sublime  passage  from  the  24th  Psalm, 
beginning,  ^  Lift  up  your  heads,  O  ye  gates,  and  be  ye 
lifted  up,  ye  everlasting  doors,  that  the  King  of  Glory 
may  come  in  ;'  when  he  represented  all  the  angels. 


SCOTT- S  APPEARANCE.  343 

principalities,  and  powers  of  heaven,  as  coming  to- 
gether, to  assist,  as  it  were,  in  placing  the  crown 
upon  the  Redeemer's  head." 

I  know  of  no  description  of  Walter  Scott,  of  which 
I  can  avail  myself,  but,  as  I  have  not  gone  beyond 
Dr.  Humphrey  in  my  estimate  of  Mr.  Campbell  as  a 
public  speaker,  that  fact,  I  trust,  will  give  assurance 
to  the  reader  that  I  will  endeavor  to  deal  as  faithfully 
with  regard  to  his  fellow-laborer.  Indeed,  the  dan- 
ger in  the  case  of  Scott  is,  that  a  faint  and  imperfect 
picture  will  be  given  ;  for  to  go  beyond  the  reality 
when  he  was  in  one  of  his  happiest  moods  is  scarcely 
possible. 

He  was  about  middle  height,  quite  erect,  well 
formed,  easy  and  graceful  in  all  his  movements  ;  his 
hair  black  and  glossy,  even  to  advanced  age;  he  had 
piercing  black  eyes,  which  seemed  at  one  time  to 
burn,  at  another,  to  melt ;  his  face  was  a  remarkable 
one,  the  saddest,  or  gladdest,  as  melancholy  or  joy  pre- 
vailed ;  his  voice  was  one  of  the  richest  I  ever  heard, 
suited  to  the  expression  of  ev^ery  emotion  of  the  soul — 
and  when  his  subject  took  full  possession  of  him 
he  was  an  orator.  I  have  heard  Bascom,  and  Stock- 
ton, and  many  other  gifted  ministers,  but  none  to 
compare  with  him  ;  he  stands  alone. 

Once,  on  what  might  be  termed  an  ordinary  occa- 
sion, when  there  was  no  special  interest,  or  expecta- 
tion, he  began  to  describe  the  gathering  of  the 
saints  to  their  final  glorious  home  ;  he  was  for  a 
time  sweet  and  tender,  but  all  at  once  his  form 
dilated,  and  his  face  glowed  as  if  he  had  caught 
a  glimpse  of  the  King  himself,  coming  in  the  clouds 
of  heaven.     I    shall    never   forget    his    attitude,    as, 


344  LIFE  OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCOTT. 

with  face  upturned,  and  hand  outstretched,  he  stood 
describing  the  scene  he  really  seemed  to  behold.  I 
have  often  wondered  since,  how  any  speaker  could 
even  venture  on  such  an  attitude  as  he  assumed, 
and  wondered  that  even  he  could  maintain  it  so 
long — but  the  end  was  not  yet;  he  cried  out:  "It 
reminds  me  of  a  scene  in  the  mountains  of  my 
native  north;"  and  then  dashed  off  into  a  life-like 
description  of  the  gathering  of  the  clans  in  the 
Highlands  of  Scotland  at  the  call  of  some  renowned 
and  beloved  chief  On  a  mountain  summit  stood 
the  chieftain,  and  as  the  wild  notes  of  the  bugle- 
horn,  re-echoed  from  rock  and  ravine,  and  spread 
over  the  valley,  the  whole  plain  below  was,  in  a  mo- 
ment, filled  with  his  devoted  followers,  who,  wrapped 
in  their  plaids, 'had  been  concealed  in  the  blooming 
heather;  every  eye  in  that  host  was  turned  to  the 
chief  whose  summons  they  had  heard,  and  whose  form 
stood  out  clearly  defined  on  the  mountain  top,  and 
upward  to  him  in  a  living  stream  they  went ;  he 
shouted  a  welcome  as  they  came,  and  back  from 
the  thronging  host  came  an  answering  shout,  for 
they  were  not  only  his  soldiers  but  his  kinsmen  ;  and 
when  they  reached  the  place  where  their  leader 
stood  they  were  happy  and  invincible. 

This  was  the  figure  used  to  illustrate  the  glad 
awakening  of  those  who  long  had  slept  in  the  dust, 
and  their  rising  to  meet  the  Lord  in  the  air.  No 
description-  can  do  justice  to  his  manner,  or  repro- 
duce the  scene  which  he  described,  but  he  made 
his  hearers  see  it  ;  for  my  own  part,  I  distinctly 
heard  the  notes  of  that  wild  music,  and  clearly  and 


THE   TRANSFIGURATION.  345 

distinctly  saw  the  tartans  stream  as  up  the  warriors 
pressed  to  meet  their  beloved  chief. 

The  next  discourse  that  I  shall  notice  was  under 
far  different  circumstances.  The  audience,  in  the 
instance  just  given,  was  composed  of  some  two  or 
three  hundred  persons,  and  the  scene  he  described, 
which  made  such  an  impression  upon  me,  was, 
doubtless,  one  that  flashed  upon  his  mind  at  the 
moment.  But  now  he  had  before  him  as  many 
thousands  as  he  had  hundreds  in  the  former  in- 
stance. The  vast  assembly  met  in  a  beautiful  grove. 
Many  of  them  had  known  the  speaker  for  a  score 
of  year^,  and  not  a  few  of  them  had  been  brought 
into  the  fold  of  Christ  under  his  ministry  ;  others 
had  come  from  a  great  distance,  attracted  by  the 
fame  of  the  preacher,  and,  I  doubt  not,  that  he  had 
made  careful  preparation  to  meet  the  expectation 
of  the  thousands  who  thronged  to  hear. 

His  theme  was  the  Transfiguration  of  Christ, 
which  he  described  with  such  marvelous  power, 
that  his  audience  seemed  to  be  witnesses  of  the 
wonderful  scene  which  transpired  upon  the  holy 
mount.  He  set  forth  the  meeting  of  the  Savior, 
Moses,  and  Elijah,  as  a  glimpse  vouchsafed  to  mor- 
tals of  the  heavenly  state,  or  a  living  tableau  of 
translated,  resurrected,  and  transformed  humanity, 
of  which  classes,  translated  Elijah,  the  resurrected 
Moses,  and  the  transfigured  Lord,  were  the  re- 
spective types;  and  to  this  task  he  brought  a  power 
of  description  so  new,  forcible,  and  impressive,  that 
many,  while  they  listened  with  wonder,  mingled 
with  awe,  felt  like  Peter,  who,  in  the  presence  of 
the  magnificent  display,  which    the    preacher    made 


34^  LIFE  OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCOTT. 

to  seem  a  reality,  exclaimed,  "  Master,  it  is  good 
for  us  to  be  here  ;  Let  us  make  three  tabernacles, 
one  for  thee,  one  for  Moses,  and  one  for  Elias," 
and  numbers,  I  doubt  not,  felt  themselves  that  day- 
nearer  heaven  than  ever  they  had  been  before.  For 
an  hour  that  grove  seemed  holy  ground,  solemn 
and  joyful  as  the  summit  of  Tabor,  for  there,  with 
the  wondering,  glad  disciples,  we  seemed  to  stand, 
and,  like  them,  to  see  and  hear  the  glorious  im- 
mortals ;  we  saw  the  Man  of  Sorrows  with  face 
brighter  than  Moses,  when  he  descended  from  Sinai ; 
we  saw  him  lay  away  his  seamless  coat  and  put  on 
garments  of  light  and  beauty,  more  glorious  far 
than  the  robes  of  Aaron  when  he  stood  before  the 
mercy-seat,  while  the  pearly  cloud  overshadowed 
all,  and  from  its  snowy  depths  came  the  words  of 
Jehovah,  as  he  presented  to  the  faith  of  the  apos- 
tles and  the  world  the  glorified  One  in  the  im- 
pressive words,  "This  is  my  beloved  Son,  hear  ye 
him." 

The  reader  will  observe  that  I  make  no  attempt 
to  reproduce  the  sermon,  that  is  impossible  ;  but, 
to  show  the  impression  that  it  made  on  my  own 
mind  and  that  of  others.  It  is  not  many  sermons 
that  people  will  remember  for  twenty  years  or  more, 
but  this  was  one  of  the  few  of  which  the  impres- 
sion is  never  effaced.  No  man  there  could  remem- 
ber the  glowing  words  used  to  paint  the  glorious 
scene,  but  many,  I  know,  will  never  forget  the 
glowing  picture  while  life  and  memory  endure. 

The  last  discourse  that  I  shall  notice,  was  de- 
livered during  the  State  meeting,  held  at  George- 
town, Kentucky,  in    1846.     Quite  a  number  of  able 


S£A'jVO.v  a  t  ge  or  GE  TO  WN.  347 

preachers  were  present,  among  them,  President 
Shannon,  L.  L.  Pinkerton,  R.  C.  Ricketts,  R.  H. 
Forrester,  R.  C.  Rice,  and  the  Kendricks.  Most 
of  these  had  preached  during  the  meeting,  and, 
near  its  close,  it  was  announced  that  Walter  Scott 
would  preach  on  Sunday  night. 

The  audience  was  large  and  intelligent,  composed 
of  persons  from  all  the  principal  towns  of  the  Blue 
Grass  region.  Lexington,  Frankfort,  Richmond, 
Paris,  Harrodsburg,  Shelby ville,  and  others,  were 
represented.  It  was  my  lot  to  accompany  the 
preacher  into  the  pulpit,  which  gave  me  an  op- 
portunity of  observing  the  effect  of  the  sermon 
on  the  listening  throng.  His  theme  was  the 
Golden  Oracle,  as  he  termed  it,  as  set  forth  in  the 
declaration  of  Simon  Peter — Thou  art  the  Christ, 
the  Son  of  the  living  God.  His  exordium  was 
solemn,  impressive,  grand ;  his  language  reminding 
me  of  the  finest  passages  of  Milton,  and  almost 
with  his  first  sentence  I  saw  that  he  had  estab- 
lished a  warm  sympathy  between  himself  and  his 
hearers.  He  spoke  of  the  nature  of  Christ,  as  gold 
mingled  with  clay — the  fine  gold  of  divinity,  with 
the  clay  of  humanity  ;  and  then  from  the  Old  and 
New  Testament  gathered  all  the  glorious  names 
which  prophets  and  apostles  applied  to  the  Son  of 
God — names  of  power,  excellency,  and  glory,  and 
showed  how  they  set  forth  the  nature  of  him  around 
whom  they  clustered,  who,  not  only  wore,  but  was 
worthy  of  them  all. 

All  felt  that  he  was  giving  expression  to  their 
own  highest  conceptions  of  the  Savior  which  they 
had  never   been   able  to   embody  in  words,  and    so 


34^  LIFE  OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCOTT. 

fixed  and  intense  became  the  attention,  that  the 
entire  audience  would  unconsciously  sway  to  and 
fro,  as  waves  at  the  will  of  the  wind,  with  every 
gesture  of  the  speaker  ;  if  he  cast  his  eyes  upward, 
his  hearers  seemed  gazing  up  into  heaven ;  now  a 
glad  smile  would  light  up  every  face,  and  an'on 
every  eye  would  be  dim  with  tears  ;  and,  at  the 
close  of  some  marvel  of  description,  a  deep  mur- 
mur or  sigh  might  be  heard,  as  though  all  had 
held  their  breath  under  the  spell  of  his  eloquence. 

The  interest  was  sustained  throughout,  and  some 
of  the  passages  were  the  finest  I  ever  heard  from 
the  lips  of  man.  In  one  portion  of  his  discourse  he 
spoke  of  Christ  as  the  Prophet,  Priest,  and  King. 
He  sought  the  Prophet  among  all  those  who  had 
delivered  the  messages  of  God  to  men  ;  but  found 
him  not  at  Sinai,  nor  at  Carmel,  where  God  owned 
Elijah  by  fire ;  nor  among  the  long  line  of  those  who 
wept  over  Israel's  sorrows  and  captivity,  like  Jeremiah  ; 
or  who,  like  Isaiah,  heralded  the  dawning  of  a  brighter 
day ;  but  bowing  in  agony  in  the  Gethsemane*,  the  great 
Prophet  he  sought  was  found.  He  bade  kings  and 
conquerors,  in  pomp  and  majesty,  march  by — we 
saw  Nimrod,  and  Nebuchadnezzar,  and  David,  and 
Solomon  in  all  his  glory ;  Cyrus,  and  Alexander, 
and  the  great  Julius,  swelled  the  procession;  but 
the  king  he  sought  was  found  in  Pilate's  Judgment 
Hall,  a  soldier's  purple  cloak,  thrown  over  him  in 
mockery,  for  a  regal  robe  ;  his  scepter,  a  reed ;  for 
a  diadem,  a  crown  of  cruel  thorns  ;  for  subjects, 
rude  soldiers  with  knees  bent  in  scorn,  and  crying, 
in  derision.  Hail,  King  of  the  Jews. 

Next,   a  procession    of  priests   passed   by — Abel, 


A   GRAND  DISCOURSE.  349 

wlio  reared  his  altar  not  far  from  the  gates  of  Eden  ; 
Melchisedec,  wearing  crown  and  mitre ;  Aaron,  in 
priestly  robes,  bearing  the  names  of  the  chosen 
tribes  on  the  breastplate  near  his  heart,  with  all  who 
had  ministered  to  God  in  Tabernacle  or  Temple, 
who  had  offered  sacrifice  at  the  altar,  or  sprinkled 
the  blood  of  atonement  on  the  mercy-seat — but  the 
Priest  he  sought,  he  found  on  Calvary,  offering  him- 
self up  to  God  on  a  bloody  cross,  at  once,  both 
priest  and  victim,  praying  for  those  who  nailed  him 
there,  and  from  whose  bleeding  heart  the  viler 
soldier  soon  plucked  his  vile  spear  away.  But  he 
left  us  not  weeping,  at  least  not  in  sorrow,  for  he 
showed  us  the  risen,  glorified  One,  at  the  right 
hand  of  the  Majesty  on  high,  where  he  ever  liveth 
to  make  intercession  for  us. 

I  have  never  heard  a  discourse  that,  in  my  hum- 
ble judgment,  could  compare  to  that  to  which  I 
have  referred,  and  certainly  none  that  made  so  deep 
an  impression,  and  which,  after  the  lapse  of  so  many 
years,  I  can  so  vividly  recall.  Perhaps  a  reason  is 
needed  for  giving  more  space  in  this  brief  sketch  to 
Scott,  than  to  Campbell  ;  if  so,  I  only  need  to  say 
that  the  finest  efforts  of  the  latter  are  preserved  on 
the  living  page  in  his  addresses,  lectures,  and  de- 
bates, while  those  of  the  former  were  not,  and  could 
not  be  thus  preserved  ;  they  owed  much  to  the  in- 
spiration of  the  moment,  to  the  looks  and  tones  by 
which  they  were  accompanied,  and  all  that  remains 
of  them  are  impressions  left  on  the  memory  of  his 
•hearers  as  they  were  on  mine,  and  I  am  fully  con- 
scious that  I  have  succeeded  in  giving  but  a  faint 
idea  of  his  wonderful  power  as  a  preacher. 


3 so  LIFE  OF  ELDER  WALTER  SCOTT. 

On  one  occasion,  while  Campbell  was  addressing 
one  of  the  most  intelligent  audiences  ever  assem- 
bled in  Kentucky,  quite  a  number  of  highly  gifted 
and  educated  men  rose  unconsciously  to  their  feet 
and  leaned  forward  toward  the  speaker,  as  if  fear- 
ing to  lose  a  single  word  that  fell  from  his  lips  ; 
and  what  makes  the  case  more  remarkable  is,  that 
many  of  them  were  public  advocates  of  the  views 
he  was  assailing,  as  being,  in  his  judgment,  con- 
trary to  the  Word  of  God ;  yet  such  was  the  force, 
clearness,  and  eloquence,  that  he  brought  to  the 
task,  that  even  those  who  diftered  from  him  could 
not  but  pay  the  high  tribute  which  we  have  men- 
tioned to  his  admirable  powers  of  close  thought,  of 
lofty  and  brilliant  expression. 

Scott's  power,  however,  was  over  the  hearts  of 
men,  and  of  the  masses  ;  his  dark  eyes  seemed  to 
penetrate  the  secrets  of  the  soul,  and  his  voice  was 
soothing  or  terrible  as  he  gave  utterance  to  the 
promises  or  threatenings  of  the  Word  of  God. 
Multitudes  were  awakened  under  his  preaching  to 
the  peril  of  their  souls,  and  pointed  successfully  to 
the  Lamb  of  God,  and,  on  some  occasions,  bitter 
enemies,  and  violent  persecutors  were  changed, 
almost  as  suddenly  as  Saul  of  Tarsus,  and  became 
not  only  faithful  Christians,  but  firm  and  hfe-long 
friends  of  the  preacher  whom  they  once  had  threat- 
ened and  reviled. 

Campbell's  greatness  and  strength  may,  in  a  great 
measure,  be  realized  by  a  careful  study  of  his  writ- 
ings ;   but  the  noblest  efforts  of  his  worthy  fellow-" 
laborer,  as  far  as  the  expression  is  concerned,  per- 
ished,   almost    at    their    birth,    they    could    not    be 


SCOTT  AND  CAMPBELL   COMPARFJ).  35  I 

reproduced  by  either  speaker  or  hearer ;  the  im- 
pression made  on  the  minds  and  hearts  of  those 
who  heard  him,  will  never  fade  until  all  things  else 
shall  fade.  But  the  tablets  on  which  those  memories 
dear  and  sweet  are  written,  are  perishable,  and  when 
the  present  generation  passes,  or,  rather,  when  the 
remnant  of  those  who  heard  him  in  his  prime  which 
yet  lingers  shall  have  passed  away,  the  world  will 
not  know  any  thing,  save  by  dim  and  imperfect  tra- 
dition, of  the  wonderful  eloquence  of  this  gifted,  this 
princely  man. 


352  LIFE  OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCOTT, 


CHAPTER    XXIII. 

* 

His  views  on  the  great  questions  of  the  day — Opposed  to  the  posi- 
tion of  Soame  Jenyns,  M.  P. — Position  on  the  temperance  and 
slavery  questions — Views  on  Education — Address  before  the  Col- 
lege of  Teachers  at  Cincinnati, 

MR.  SCOTT  was  not  of  a  temperament  that 
would  permit  him  to  be  unafifected  by  the  civil, 
political,  and  moral  questions  of  his  day;  on  all  of 
them  he  had  convictions  which  he  was  ready  at  all 
proper  times  to  express,  but  he  ever  held  those  con- 
victions in  subordination  to  the  great  religious  ques- 
tions which  it  was  the  great  business  of  his  life  to 
investigate,  set  forth,  and  defend.  In  politics  he  was 
a  democrat,  but  he  never  permitted  himself  to  be 
drawn  into  the  petty  intrigues  and  issues  of  party 
strife,  and  while  he  had  a  very  high  admiration  of  the 
great  men  of  that  party  from  Jefferson  to  Jackson, 
of  the  former  for  his  statesmanship,  and  of  the  latter 
for  his  energy  and  decision,  he  did  not  withhold  his 
admiration  of  the  men  and  measures  of  the  opposite 
party,  when  both  were  often  such,  that  as  a  patriot, 
if  not  as  a  partisan,  he  could  warmly  approve. 
Although  a  foreigner  by  birth,  he  was  a  great  lover 
of  free  institutions,  and  was  proud  of  his  citizenship, 
and  none  the  less  so  because  it  was  his  deliberate 
choice,  rather  than  a  birthright.  He  once  said  to  an 
intimate  friend  :  *•  I  remember  distinctly  the  moment 
that  I  became  an  American  citizen  in  heart;  it  was 


ins  PATRIOTISM.  353 

not  when  I  went  through  the  forms  of  the  laws  of 
naturalization,  but  on  the  occasion  of  my  meeting 
with  a  procession  headed  by  a  band  playing  the  na- 
tional air,  and  bearing  the  national  banner  ;  ijispired 
by  the  strain  as  I  looked  on  the  national  emblem,  I 
felt  that  under  that  flag,  and  for  it,  if  need  be,  I  could 
die,  and  I  felt  at  that  moment  that  I  was  in  feeling, 
as  well  as  in  law,  an  American  citizen,  that  that 
flag  was  my  flag,  and  that  this  country  was  my 
country." 

Patriotism  has  by  some  been  thought  to  be  inconsist- 
ent with  Christianity,  and  an  elaborate  attempt  was 
made  by  Soame  Jenyns,  a  learned  and  pious  English 
statesman,  to  prove  that  patriotism  was  not  included 
in  the  list  of  virtues  by  either  Christ  or  his  apostles. 
The  essay,  to  which  allusion  has  been  made,  was  re- 
garded as  exhaustive  and  unanswerable,  and  is  even 
yet  esteemed  not  only  ,is  a  fine  specimen  of  close 
thought,  but  as  an  argument  for  the  truth  of  Chris- 
tianity. Elder  Scott  took  different  ground  ;  his  views 
are  striking  and  forcible,  and  admirably  expressed, 
and  are  none  the  less  valuable  for  being  in  opposition 
to  those  of  one  of  the  leading  men  of  his  age.  They 
are  as  follows  : 

*'A  British  Parliamentarian  affirms  that  the  virtue  of 
patriotism  is  not  taught  in  our  religion.  In  order  to  know 
.whether  this  is  correct  it  is  necessary  to  understand  the 
meaning  of  the  word.  Patriotism  then,  as  I  apprehend  it, 
is  a  special  attachment  to  our  countrymen.  Philanthroj^y 
is  the  love  of  the  species — the  love  of  all  men.  But  ])a- 
triotism  is  the  love  of  country,  the  love  of  our  fellow-citi- 
zens in  particular. 

"This  special  passion  for  our  own,  and  this  general  be- 
30 


354  LIFE   OF  ELDER    WALTER  SCOIT. 

nevolence,  or  patriotism  and  philanthropy,  are  alike  ele- 
ments of  human  nature.  Nay,  they  have  their  foundation 
in  the  (xod-head  after  whom  man  is  modeled,  for  although 
God  loves  all  men  with  benevolence,  he  loves  his  saints 
only  with  complacency.  He  is  said,  therefore,  to  be  the 
preserver  of  all  men,  but  esjjecially  of  them  who  believe. 

"  When  God  was  manifest  in  the  flesh  did  he — Christ — 
in  his  high  example  disclose  to  us  in  the  moral  form  of 
overt  action,  the  several  virtues  of  general  benevolence  and 
patriotic  attachment?  Did  he  love  the  race — all  nations? 
And  did  he  love  the  Jews  his  countrymen  and  some  indi- 
viduals in  particular?  He  loved  the  race  of  man  ;  this  is 
admitted;  and  although  he  died  for  the  world  yet  he  lived 
only  for  the  the  Jews  ;  and  said  :  *  I  am  not  sent  but  to 
the  lost  sheep  of  the  house  of  Israel.'  He  gave  his  coun- 
trymen, therefore,  the  exclusive  benefit  and  excellent  honor 
of  his  own  personal  administrations.  '  He  was  a  minister 
of  the  circumcision  '  said  the  apostle. 

''After  he  had  arisen  from  the  dead,  and  organized  the 
apostolic  mission,  he  sent  the  twelve  to  the  wo^ld  ;  but  in 
harmony  both  with  their  and  his  own  natural  patriotism  he 
commanded  them  to  begin,  at  Jerusalem.  This  they  did, 
preaching  in  the  first  instance  the  gospel  to  none  but  Jews 
only.  In  like  manner,  Paul,  after  preaching  to  the  Jews 
betook  himself  to  his  native  city,  Tarsus,  among  the  Gen- 
tiles. Christ,  then,  and  his  apostles,  were  at  once  lovers 
of  the  whole  race  of  man,  and  of  their  own  countrxmen, 
the  Jews  in  particular.  And  can  it  be  affirmed  legiti- 
mately, their  examples  to  the  contrary  notwithstanding,  that 
Cliristianity  does  not  teach  patriotism — a  superior  regard 
for  our  own  countrymen — our  kinsmen  according  to  the 
flesh  ?  No,  No ;  the  British  statesman  is  wrong.  God 
loves  all  men,  but  particularly  his  saints.  Christ  was  the 
desire  of  all  nations,  yet  he  came  only  to  his  own.  The 
apostles  felt  for  the  world,  but  especially  for  their  kindred 
according  to  the  flesh,  who  were  Israelites.     And  we,  if  we 


PAlRfOTIC  VIEWS.  355 

are  true  to  nature,  will  have  a  special  affection  for  our  own 
countrymen,  who  are  Americans. 

"But  it  may  be  asked,  will  not  this  special  affection  for 
our  own  country  interfere  with  the  rights  and  prerogatives 
of  other  countries  ?  It  may  and  it  may  not.  If  regulated 
and  purified  it  will  not.  Christ's  personal  preference  for 
John  interfered  not  with  the  honors  of  the  other  apostles, 
for  although  the  mother  of  Zebedee's  children  asked  that 
her  sons  might  enjoy  the  distinction  of  sitting  on  his  right 
and  left  hand  in  the  kingdom,  yet  Christ  gave  to  Peter  the 
Apostolic  Primacy  and  the  keys  of  the  kingdom.  Nor  did 
this  patriotic  preference  for  the  Jews  and  Jerusalem  at  all 
derogate  from  the  universality  of  his  benevolence,  for, 
although  he  lived  for  one  nation,  yet  he  died  for  all.  He 
did  not  give  to  the  world  what  was  due  to  his  own  nation, 
nor  to  his  own  nation  what  was  designed  for  the  world. 
But  being  a  philanthropist — a  lover  of  all  men — he  was,  of 
course,  also  a  patriot — a  lover  of  the  Jews,  his  countrymen 
in  particular.  He  did  not  weep  over  the  capitals  of  other 
nations,  but  over  Jerusalem  he  did  weep.  And  the  man 
who  would  attain  to  finished  life,  and  be  perfect  as  Christ 
is  perfect,  must,  like  him,  live  for  his  country,  and,  if  it  be 
necessary,  die  for  the  world. 

"  But  again,  what  is  Christian  patriotism?  Is  it  Roman 
patriotism  ?  No,  no.  These  two  forms  of  patriotism  are 
vastly  dissimilar.  They  are  as  unlike  as  truth  and  false- 
hood, light  and  darkness,  Christ  and  Caesar.  Caesar  rose 
to  dominion  by  the  blood  of  others — millions  of  others. 
Christ  ascended  by  his  own  blood.  Caesar  was  a  tyrant. 
Christ  was  a  servant.  Caesar  exalted  the  Roman  peo[)le 
by  wars,  military  murders,  requisitions,  and  the  general 
degradation  of  the  feelings  and  property  of  all  other  na- 
tions. Christ  would  have  exalted  the  Jewish  nation  by 
making  them  the  depositories  of  his  gospel  and  the  car- 
riers of  restored  rights  and  righteousness  to  all  the  earth 
besides.      Caesar  made  Rome  the  mistress  of  the  civilized 


356  LIFE  OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCOTT. 

world,  and  planted  on  her  brows  the  diadems  of  the  na- 
tions which  he  had  plucked  from  their  monarchs  by  the 
hands  of  a  bloody  and*  ferocious  soldiery.  Christ  the  Lord 
would  have  adorned  Jerusalem  with  a  crown  of  righteous- 
ness, and  made  her  the  queen  city  of  nations — the  medium 
and  means  of  righteousness  and  religion  to  a  fallen  world — 
l)ut  she  would  not.  The  patriotism  of  Caesar  and  the 
Romans  is  selfishness ;  that  of  Christ  and  Christians  is 
benevolence — a  benevolence  that  would  develop  in  the 
heart  and  life  of  their  countrymen  gifts  and  graces  that 
would  set  them  high  above  all  Greek,  all  Roman  fame. 
The  fact  is  this.  As  nature  makes  men  what  they  are,  so 
Christianity  is  designed  to  make  them  what  they  ought  to 
be,  and  must  be,  if  they  would  live  forever.  Christianity, 
therefore,  is  nothing  less  than  finished  life — a  divine  na- 
ture— the  formation  of  a  character  that  shall  please  God — 
the  remodeling  of  man  after  the  image  of  his  Maker — the 
image  of  his  Son  Jesus  Christ ;  and  as  it  is  the  business 
of  all  true  Christians  to  sow  society  thick  with  such  char- 
acter, and  as  such  character  alone  can  give  stability  even 
to  the  best  and  freest  political  institutions,  it  follows,  there- 
fore, that  Christian  patriotism  is  the  true  patriotism.  But 
the  Christian  patriot  does  not,  like  Csesar,  brandish  a 
sword  at  the  kingdoms.  Nor  is  it  that  morbidly  sensitive 
and  pensioned  loquacity,  too  often  heard  in  our  halls  of  legis- 
lation, prating  of  law,  property,  trade,  and  commerce,  lib- 
erty and  the  rights  of  man.  No  !  it  is  a  pure  and  sublime 
passion  of  the  soul  derived  to  man  from  nature,  and  in  the 
Christian  consecrated  by  faith  in  God  and  Christ  leading 
him  earnestly  to  desire,  and  if  possible  to  compass,  the 
good  and  grandeur  of  his  country  by  the  development  of 
all  her  resources  in  the  formation  of  great  and  good  men, 
divine  character — finished  life — for  what  is  the  eternal  value 
of  government  and  law,  of  art  and  science,  of  trnde  and 
commerce  and  manufacture,  and  all  civil  and  political  and 
domestic  institutions,  without  individual  and  national  char- 


THE   TEMPERA XCE  QUESTION.  2>S7 

arter?  'Righteousness  alone  exalts- a  nation,  buc  sin  is  a 
reproach  to  any  i)eople.' 

*'Who  then  is  the  Christian  patriot?  Is  it  the  states- 
man? the  soldier?  or  the  saint?  None  of  them,  if  he  is 
not  a  good  and  honest  man.  He  is  the  Christian  patriot 
who,  having  arrayed  himself  with  the  gifts  and  graces  of 
the  divine  nature,  which  was  broken  at  the  fall  of  man, 
Mike  the  body  of  Osiris,  scattered  to  the  four  winds  of 
heaven,'  but  which  in  the  person  and  character  of  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ  has  again  'been  gathered  together  and 
moulded  in  every  joint  and  member  into  an  immortal  fea- 
ture of  loveliness  and  perfection,'  does  afterward  labor  to 
induce  the  same  form  of  divine  nature  upon  all  his  coun- 
trymen, and  by  finished  life  and  lovely  perfection  swell  the 
note  of  his  country's  applause  among  foreign  nations  and 
before  God  the  supreme  ruler  of  the  world.  Yes,  he  is 
the  true  patriot,  and  all  other  forms  of  patriotism  are  bas- 
tard and  illegitimate,  and  will  at  last  fail  to  inherit  the 
commendation  of  God. 

"Christian  patriotism  has  for  its  motto  ^  Giir  Coii?ilry, 
right  or  wrong;''  if  right,  we  go  with  her  because  of  the 
right ;  if  wrong,  we  go  for  her  to  deliver  her  from  the 
wrong,  and  put  her  right.  Christ  and  his  apostles  ad- 
hered to  the  Israelitish  nation  right  and  wrong;  and 
abandoned  it  only  at  that  point  of  utter  and  total  incorrigi- 
bility where  every  nation,  who  refuses  to  reform,  must 
meet  its  fate." 

The  temperance  question  was  one  of  the  great 
issues  of  his  times  ;  he  not  only  warmly  approved 
of  the  movement  when  set  on  foot,  but  he,  in  a  mea- 
sure, anticipated  it,  and  gave  his  testimony  against 
the  use  of  strong  drink  when  public  sentiment  was 
in  its  favor,  and  the  practice  almost  universal.  Every 
family  that  could  afford  it,  had  its  side-board,  and  one 


358  LIFE  OF  ELDER   IVALER  SCOTT. 

of  the  first  rites  of  hospitality  was  to  invite  the 
guest  to  drink,  and  his  departure  was  attended  by  the 
same  ceremony  as  the  greeting.  It  was  not  at  all 
unministerial  for  the  preacher  to  take  some  of  that 
kind  of  comfort  before  starting  to  his  appointment 
some  miles  away,  nor  to  repeat  it  on  reaching  the  scene 
of  his  labors  before  the  sermon  began.  Preachers 
even  could  engage  in  the  manufacture  of  whisky 
without  compromising  their  character ;  there  was  as 
little  disgrace  in  running  a  still-house  as  in  managing 
a  grist-mill.  Into  this  feeling,  however.  Elder  Scott 
never  entered,  and,  on  one  occasion,  after  stopping 
over  night  with  a  preaching  brother  who  was  the 
proprietor  of  a  distillery,  he  gave  him  a  solemn  ad- 
monition upon  the  subject  and  closed  by  advising 
him  to  abandon  the  business,  with  the  words,  "  Let 
the  devil  boil  his  own  tea-kettle,  my  brother,  and  do 
you  preach  the  gospel." 

He  would  also  warn  the  people  against  the  com- 
mon practice  of  furnishing  liquor  freely  to  workmen 
in  harvest  time,  urging  that  it  was  ruinous  in  the  ex- 
treme. The  church  at  Carthage,  which  was  planted 
by  his  labors,  at  an  early  period  of  its  history  was 
induced  to  take  strong  ground  against  intemperance. 
This  was  done  by  the  passage  of  a  resolution  to  the 
effect  that  she  would  have  no  Christian  communion 
with  those  who  used  liquor,  or  with  any  one  who 
should  sell  wine  or  strong  drink,  except  for  medicine 
or  the  Lord's  Supper.  This  course,  brought  about 
by  his  influence  and  teaching,  was  very  gratifying, 
and  he  expressed  his  pleasure  at  the  action  taken  by 
the  church  as  follows  :  "  This  is  exceedingly  proper, 
for  how  can    evangelists    stand   up  to  plead  with   a 


THE  SL  A  J  'ER  V  Q  UES  77 OX.  3  5  9 

community  to  obey  the  gospel,  and  receive  the  Holy 
Spirit,  when  others,  with  the  name  of  Christ  upon 
them,  stand  behind  their  counters,  and  make  the 
hearts  of  the  people  mad  with  wine  and  ardent 
spirits  ?  The  churches  have  need  to  cleanse  their 
hands  of  sin,  the  coming  of  the  Lord  draws  nigh." 

He  fully  sympathized  with  the  various  temperance 
organizations,  and  gave  all  the  aid  in  his  power  to 
their  efforts  for  the  suppression  of  this  monster  evil, 
which  like  a  fearful  deluge  had  overwhelmed  both  pew 
and  pulpit,  and  threatened  to  sweep  away  every  virtue 
and  every  relic  of  righteousness.  He  had  no  fears 
that  the  church  would  suffer  by  its  members  allying 
themselves  with  the  Sons  of  Temperance  and  similar 
orders,  as  he  thought  that  no  evil  could  result  to  re- 
ligion from  virtuous  practices. 

But  the  great  question  of  the  day  was  that  of 
slavery,  and  was  to  him,  in  common  with  others,  one 
of  unbounded  extent,  interest,  and  perplexity.  He 
was  often  called  upon  to  define  his  position  in  regard 
to  it,  and  frequently  did  so  with  pen  and  tongue  in 
public  and  in  private.  He  inclined  to  the  views  of 
the  colonizationists,  rather  than  those  of  the  aboli- 
tionists, as  the  former  proposed  to  return  the  eman- 
cipated blacks  to  their  own  country,  while  the  latter 
demanded  their  instant  and  absolute  liberation,  with- 
out proposing  any  means,  in  his  view,  by  which  both 
master  and  slave  might  be  able  to  bear  the  change 
with  the  least  injury.  There  were  difficulties  in  any 
view  of  the  case ;  he  felt,  with  the  wisest  and  best 
men  in  the  nation,  that  it  was  an  increasing  and  in- 
tolerable evil,  and  yet  difficulties  seemed  to  beset 
every  method  of  solving  it  which  had  been  proposed. 


360  LIFE  OF  ELDER    WALTER  SCOTT. 

At  one  time  he  wrote:  "The  manumission  of  our 
slave  population  can  be  accomplished  now  only  by  a 
means  which  heaven  alone  knows — I  know  it  not;" 
and  then  adds,  "  I  am  no  friend  to  slavery,  I  depre 
cate  its  commencement,  I  deplore  its  continuance, 
and  tremble  for  its  issue;  but  I  am  silent  because  I 
think  to  speak  would  be  folly.  What  ought  to  be 
said  I  can  not  say,  and  what  ought  not  to  be  said,  I 
will  not  say."  His  language  is  that  of  perplexity, 
not  of  timidity  ;  and  this  perplexity  was  shared  in  a 
greater  or  less  degree  by  the  most  eminent  men  in 
the  nation  ;  none  of  them  had  fallen  upon  a  solution 
of  the  then  difficult  problem  —  which  never  was 
easy  of  solution  until  solved — but  that  he  did  not 
live  to  see. 

The  state  of  perplexity,  to  which  allusion  has  been 
made,  did  not  arise  from  any  doubts  as  to  the  nature 
and  tendency  of  slavery,  but  wholly  from  the  diffi- 
culty of  getting  rid  of  it ;  and  yet  this  state  of  mind, 
for  which  there  was  abundant  reason,  gave  rise  to 
his  being  called,  by  a  radical  and  impulsive  brother, 
"an  apologist  for  slavery."  To  this  charge  he  re- 
plied as  follows  :  "Be  not  surprised,  my  brother,  if  I 
ask  where  the  root  of  the  evil  is  to  be  found,  and 
whether  slavery  is  to  be  associated  originally  and 
radically  with  the  Church,  or  with  the  State.  When 
men  would  kill  a  tree  they  do  not  lop  off  a  few  of  the 
uppermost  boughs  as  you  would,  but  strike  a  blow  at 
the  root.  You  are  on  the  house-top.  I  wish  to  feel 
around  the  foundations,  to  grapple  with  the  pillars, 
and  to  know  the  length  and  strength  of  the  things 
on  which  the  fabric  is  raised.  It  is  radically  a  state 
question,  and  slavery  might  exist  in  the  Union  even 


I -JK  Jl'S  OX  SL A  I 'ER  Y.  3 6 1 

after  every  disciple  of  the  true  gospel  had  exercised 
his  individual  right  and  freed  his  slaves  on  the  spot. 
I  assert,  then,  that  the  government,  and  not  the 
church  of  Christ,  is  to  be  blamed  for  slavery.  She  did 
not  originate  it,  she  did  not  propose  it,  she  did  not 
desire  it,  and  she  can  not  annul  it.  Hence,  slavery  is 
radically  a  political  and  not  a  religious  evil.  You 
have  so  mistaken  the  state  of  the  case,  or  the  ques- 
tion, that  you  have  dared  me  to  a  viva  voce  defense 
of  slavery  as  practiced  in  the  United  States  !  I  will 
not  defend  slavery  in  any  State ;  it  is  a  political  evil, 
and  to  defend  it  would  be  like  defending  evil  of  any 
other  kind.  The  fact  is,  the  government  must  be 
made  to  act  in  this  affair  if  we  would  cure  it,  and  all 
attempts  to  remove  the  disease  by  any  other  means 
is  so  much  time  lost."  This  was  written  some  thirty 
years  before  emancipation  came,  but  it  was  effected, 
as  he  had  said,  by  the  government ;  the  only  power, 
in  his  judgment,  that  could  remove  it. 

Apart,  however,  from  the  great  work  of  religious 
reformation,  nothing  occupied  more  of  his  attention 
than  the  subject  of  education.  A  thorough  scholar,  an 
eminently  successful  teacher,  and  at  all  times  a  close 
student,  he  was  well  prepared  to  speak  on  this  im- 
portant theme. 

For  a  short  period  he  acted  as  president  of  Bacon 
College,  Kentucky,  and  it  was,  doubtless,  his  connec- 
tion with  his  institution  that  brought  him  promi- 
nently and  favorably  before  the  friends  ofeducation  in 
the  West.  The  College  of  Teachers  and  Western 
Literary  Institute,  which  met  at  Cincinnati,  embraced 
among  its  members  some  of  the  ablest  men  of  the 
period,  many  of  whom  have  since  achieved  a  national 
31 


362  JJFE  OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCOTT. 

and  even  a  world-wide  reputation.  Among  them 
were  Samuel  Lewis,  Dr.  Daniel  Drake,  Joseph  Ray, 
the  author  of  the  well  known  series  of  arithmetics 
and  algebras,  which  have  found  a  place  in  nearly 
every  school  and  college  in  the  land.  Prof.  McGuffey, 
Alex.  Campbell,  Bishop  (now  Archbishop)  Purcell, 
A.  Kinmont,  an  accomplished  scholar,  critic,  and  au- 
thor ;  and  Dr.  Calvin  E.  Stowe,  Professor  of  Sacred 
Literature  in  Lane  Seminary,  and  son-in-law-  of  Dr. 
Lyman  Beecher,  and  husband  of  Harriet  Beecher 
Stowe,  of  Uncle  Tom's  Cabin  fame.  By  this  associa- 
tion Walter  Scott  was  invited  to  address  them  at  their 
anniversary  in  the  autumn  of  1837,  an  invitation  which 
any  man,  at  that  time,  might  have  regarded  as  a  com- 
pliment. 

Prof.  Stowe  was,  at  that  time,  in  Europe  preparing 
a  report  on  the  Prussian  system  of  education  which 
he  was  expected  to  present  at  the  coming  anniversary, 
and  was  looked  forward  to  as  the  lion  of  the  occasion. 
The  appointed  time  came,  the  Professor  had  arrived, 
and  he  laid  before  the  convention  the  results  of  his 
observations,  fully  indorsing  and  recommending  the 
Prussian  system.  A  majority  of  the  eminent  scholars 
present  were  in  favor  of  adopting  a  system  which  the 
Professor  regarded  as  the  most  perfect  scheme  of 
education  as  yet  devised  by  human  wisdom,  and  were 
startled  when  Mr.  Scott  rose  and  gave  it  as  his  view 
that  a  system  of  education  was  to  be  discovered^  not  in- 
vented, and  that  the  Prussian  system,  of  which  they 
had  heard  so  much,  was  defective  in  that  it  had  not 
its  foundation  in  a  proper  knowledge  of  human  na- 
ture, and  was  artificial  rather  than  natural ;  an  at- 
tempt, in  fact,  to  make  nature  conform  to  a  system. 


I vi: irs  ox  ed i\ \\  riox.  363 

rather  than  a  system  adapted  to  man  from  a  profound 
knowledge  of  his  physical,  intellectual,  and  moral  na- 
ture. Had  he  presented  his  views  before  Prof  Stowe 
addressed  the  convention,  they  would,  beyond  a  doubt, 
have  been  warmly  received  ;  but  being  in  opposition 
to  them,  after  they  had  been  received  with  such  gen- 
eral favor,  the  effect  was  not  only  to  mortify  his 
friends  with  regard  to  his  criticisms  upon  the  views 
of  the  learned  Professor,  but  also  to  excite  their  fears 
with  regard  to  the  address  he  was  himself  soon  to 
deliver.  Prof.  Ray  feared  that  his  speech  would  be 
a  failure,  and  mentioned  his  fears  to  Alexander 
Campbell,  who  became,  if  possible,  more  fearful  than 
he  ;  others  heard  of  their  fears,  and  in  turn  became 
fearful,  and  at  last,  when  the  fears  of  his  best  friends 
came  to  his  ears,  Scott,  as  was  natural,  became  fear- 
ful himself  To  make  the  matter  worse,  in  order  to 
give  him  more  time,  his  address  was  postponed  to 
the  very  latest  hour,  and  that  a  most  unpropitious 
hour  for  both  speaker  and  audience — the  hour  after 
dinner.  The  time  came,  and  as  he  ascended  the  steps 
of  the  pulpit  his  friends  saw  with  dismay  that  he  was 
pale,  haggard,  and  trembling  ;  and  when  he  stood  face 
to  face  with  his  large  and  critical  audience,  the  heads 
of  most  of  his  friends  were  down.  He  began  with 
visible  embarrassment,  but  soon  rallied  ;  tone,  manner, 
expression — all  improved,  and  before  many  minutes 
had  passed  he  was  master  of  his  subject,  and  of  his 
audience.  The  whole  scheme  of  education  he  de- 
scribed as  consisting  of  four  grand  elements,  as 
follows  : 

''  ist^  Things — The  things  taught  by  the  master  and 
learned  by  the  pupil.     2d.   Ideas — the  ideas  of  the  things 


3^)4  LIFE  OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCOTT. 

found  in  the  school-course,  and  constituting  the  knowledge 
of  the  scholar.  3d.  Relation — that  is,  the  adaptation  of 
this  knowledge  to  the  intellectual  and  moral  constitution 
of  the  scliolar.  4th.  Use — that  is,  the  practical  applica- 
tion of  knowledge  to  the  formation  of  the  scholar's  char- 
acter as  a  being  related  to  material  nature,  to  his  own  species 
generally,  to  the  commonwealth  in  particular,  and  to  his 
Creator.  Thus  education  works  inward  from  things,  and 
outward  to  relations — four  sets  of  external  relations — and 
consists  of  things,  and  ideas ;  their  relations  and  nses  as 
its  elements  or  first  principles,  for  under  these  four  cate- 
gories may  the  whole  details  of  the  educational  science  be 
assembled  or  classed. 

''In  nothing,  perhaps,  does  man  appear  more  eminent- 
than  in  his  admirable  powers  to  compass  and  assort  the 
mighty  mass  which  the  present  life  lays  before  him.  In 
nothing,  perhaps  does  he  appear  more  grand  than  in  his 
faculty  for  generalization.  Although  he  finds  himself 
thrown  upon  a  vast  globe,  twenty-five  thousand  miles  in 
circumference,  and  forever  falling  with  inconceivable  velo- 
city through  space,  and  though  that  globe  is  but  a  com- 
ponent part  of  an  organized  system  of  globes  called  the 
solar  system,  and  although  the  solar  system  itself  be  but 
one  member  of  that  vast  and  multitudinous  family  of  sys- 
tems or  planetaria  which  form  the  starry  heavens ;  and 
though  he  has  thrown  before  him,  in  this  boundless  and 
tremendous  scene,  suns  and  moons,  and  planets  and  com- 
ets, and  this  great  globe  with  its  numerous  contents, 
physical  and  rational,  and  its  exhaustless  resources,  yet  does 
he  soar  above  the  entire  scene,  himself  the  phoenix  of  it 
all !  and  by  his  glorious  powers  to  compass  and  arrange 
the  endlessly  varied  objects  of  this  unlimited  field  of  living 
nature,  greatly  demonstrate  the  certainty  of  the  divine 
oracle  concerning  him,  namely:  'In  the  beginning  God 
created  man  in  his  own  likeness.' 

"  For  the  sake  of  the  answer,  then,  I  ask,  On  what  is  the 


VIE  WS  ON  ED  UCA  TION.  365 

professional  teacher  to  form  his  science?  I  answer  on 
things,  and  on  this  classification  of  them,  namely,  that 
they  are  all  either  of  God  or  of  man  ;  that  is,  they  are 
either  the  things  of  nature  or  religion j  or  they  are  things 
of  art  or  society. 

*'  If,  then,  the  word  things  be  the  first  predicament  of  sub- 
jective education,  nature  and  religion,  art  and  society,  are 
that  predicament  run  out  in  several  categories,  and  on 
these  categories  will  rest  immediately  the  whole  educational 
science.  Two  of  these  systems  then  are  of  God,  and  two 
of  them  of  man.  Nature  and  religion  are  divine  systems, 
art  and  society  are  human.  The  first  two  are  the  divine 
mind  in  positive  development,  the  last  two  are  the  human 
mind  in  development.  In  nature  and  religion  we  behold 
the  power  and  authority  of  God.  \\\  art  and  society  we 
behold  the  power  and  authority  of  man  ;  nature  and  art 
are  systems  in  which  we  see  ^mind  acting  on  matter; 
religion  and  society,  systems  in  which  we  see  mind  act- 
ing upon  mind.  In  searching  for  the  foundations  of  the 
educational  science  we  find  that  it  rests  ultimately  on 
things — the  things  of  nature  and  art,  religion  and  society. 
And,  in  making  up  the  true  school-course,  we  must  have 
respect  to  this  classification ;  that  is,  the  things  of  the  di- 
vine systems  may  not  thrust  out  the  things  of  the  human 
systems.  Nature  is  not  to  exclude  art,  neither  is  society 
religion,  or  contrariwise ;  but  the  school-course  is  to  com- 
prehend things  from  all  these  systems. 

'''Nothing  short  of  the  words  physical,  animal,  moral, 
and  intellectual,  will  describe  our  entire  constitution;  and 
that  our  external  relations  are  reducible  to  four  classes,  for 
our  physical  nature  connects  us  with  material  nature,  our 
animal  nature  classes  us  with  our  species,  our  moral  nature 
connects  us  with  society  and  with  God,  while  our  intel- 
lectual constitution  establishes  and  confirms  us  in  all  these 
relations. 

"Education,  therefore,  must  consist  of  the  impartatidn 


306  LIFE  OF  ELDER   IV ALTER  SCOTT. 

of  knowledge — sensible,  rational,  conscious,  and  revealed 
knowledge — with  reference  to  this  four- fold  nature,  and  to 
the  relations  in  which  it  involves  us;  and  it  must  be  in 
the  discharge  of  duty  as  a  being  of  these  relations  that 
man  finds  his  happiness,  and  a  field  of  exercise  for  the 
different  orders  of  powers  and  sentiments  found  in  this 
analysis  of  his  nature. 

"  His  connection  with  material  nature  constitutes  philos- 
ophy, chemistry,  and  mathematics — a  part  of  his  educa- 
tion. His  animal  nature  makes  it  proper  that  he  should 
understand  natural  history,  physiology,  and  anatomy.  His 
moral  constitution  makes  mental  philosophy,  government, 
and  economics,  a  part  of  his  educational  instruction  ;  and 
his  intellectual  faculties  can  be  invigorated  and  matured 
only  by  a  due  supply  of  all  these  kinds  of  knowledge. 

''  But  now,  if  it  be  inquired  what  it  is,  in  a  moral  point 
of  view,  that  the  professional  teacher  may,  by  the  course 
recommended,  develop  in  the  nature  of  his  pupil,  I  an- 
swer, certain  cardinal  virtues,  as  the  love  of  truth,  taste,  or 
love  of  the  useful  and  the  beautiful,  the  love  of  our  own 
species,  the  love  of  God  ;  elements  of  virtuous  character 
to  which  the  subjects  of  education  are  severally  and  re- 
spectively related. 

"Is  it  asked,  What  is  that  virtue  which  is  especially  fos- 
tered and  made  fruitful  by  the  study  of  the  things  of  na- 
ture in  all  her  forms,  colors,  sounds,  attitudes,  motions, 
actions,  changes,  heights,  and  distances,  tastes  and  odors, 
tacts  and  expressions  of  utility,  beauty  and  grace,  the  pic- 
turesque, the  grand  and  the  sublime,  with  the  variety  of 
her  natural  history,  natural  philosophy,  chemistry,  etc.  ? 
It  is  answered,  the  love  of  truth.  This  entire  department 
of  knowledge  works  together  for  the  love  of  truth  in 
man. 

''But  again,  what  is  that  element  in  our  nature  set  free 
by  the  study  of  the  arts  ?  Taste — taste  for  the  useful,  taste 
for  the  beautiful  and  the  grand,  an  attribute  in  our  nature 


r/EIVS  ox  EDUCATIOiY.  2>^^7 

to  the  proper  development  of  which  is  very  nearly  related 
all  that  is  beautiful  in  polished  life,  and  elegant  in  refined 
manners.  It  is  in  this  element  of  education,  that  man 
chiefly  finds  his  ideal  conceptions  of  the  illustrious  and 
the  grand,  the  graceful  and  the  fair;  for  it  is  in  art  alone 
that  he  can  fully  assemble  or  group  the  elements  which 
constitute  these  ideas. 

"Divest  education  of  study  in  the  arts,  and  you  divest 
it  of  a  chief  element.  If  you  break  not  the  shaft,  if  you 
raze  not  the  foundation,  you  at  least  strike  from  the  eleva- 
tion to  which  it  is  entitled  the  chief  ornament  of  the  column 
of  education  ;  you  dethrone  its  capital  and  negative  the  fair- 
est forms  and  loveliest  specimens  of  human  genius  to  which 
society  has  given  birth  in  every  age  of  the  world,  from 
him  who,  before  the  flood,  invented  the  organ,  down  to 
Handel,  Haydn,  and  Mozart ;  from  Praxiteles  and 
Phidias  to  Thom  and  Cordova;  from  him  who  sculptured 
out  for  everlasting  admiration,  the  Vejius  de  Medicis,  and 
horrific  Laocoon,  down  to  David ;  from  him  whose  pencil 
breathed  life  upon  the  walls  of  Grecian  temples,  down  to 
Raphael  the  sublime,  and  Michael  Angelo,  and  Rubens 
who  grouped  his  fair  creations  like  'hillocks  of  roses.' 

''Again,  what  moral  element  is  chiefly  addressed  by  the 
study  of  that  part  of  education  which  is  referable  to  society? 
I  answer,  philanthropy — the  love  of  our  own  species.  So- 
ciety is  an  expression  of  our  sense  of  the  duty  of  each  indi- 
vidual to  all  the  rest,  and  of  the  duty  of  all  the  rest  to 
each  individual. 

"Now,  it  is  certain  that  there  are  in  that  part 
of  the  educational  course  supplied  from  this  source 
many  co-relatives  of  the  virtue  styled  philanthropy, 
such  as  generosity,  liberality,  hospitality,  and  a  thou- 
sand other  of  the  charities  of  life ;  but  these  are  all  an 
under-growth  in  comparison  of  the  master  virtue,  the 
love  of  our  own  species  manifesting  itself  by  justice,  and 
every  other  grace  of  behavior.     Philanthroi)y  is  a  cardinal 


S6S  LIFE  OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCOTT. 

virtue,    and    it   is   a    greatly    imi)ortant    point  to  be,  like 
Aristides,  just. 

"  Finally,  what  is  it  that  is  chiefly  inculcated  by  religion? 
answer,  the  love  of  God,  resolving  it  into  a  belief  of  his 
existence,  and  true  and  gracious  character  as  our  Creator 
and  Redeemer  by  Jesus  Christ.  Lord  Bacon  has  said  that 
*  the  grand  end  of  philosophy  was  to  fill  society  with  arts 
and  useful  inventions,'  and  it  may  be  added,  that  the  end 
of  religion  is  to  sow  society  with  divine  principles  and 
righteousness." 

As  he  proceeds  to  elaborate  the  views  of  v^hich 
the  above  extracts  are  but  a  faint  outline,  his  hearers 
were  brought  into  warrn  sympathy  with  him  ;  he 
made  them,  see  and  feel  the  truth  and  beauty  of  the 
theory  of  education  which  he  proposed,  and  one  of 
those  who  doubted  and  feared  when  he  began,  says 
that  before  he  closed,  the  audience  was  enraptured. 
The  speaker  was  all  that  could  be  desired.  He  was 
grand.  He  was  sublime.  All  drooping  heads  were 
lifted,  all  fears  removed.  When  he  closed,  one  of 
the  best  thinkers  in  the  convention,  A.  Kinmont, 
rose  and  moved  a  vote  of  thanks  to  the  speaker  "  for 
the  only  profoundly  philosophical  discourse  that  had 
been  delivered  during  the  convention."  The  mover 
was  a  metaphysician,  and  was  perfectly  carried  away 
with  Scott's  speech.  It  was  a  triumph — a  triumph 
under  difficulties,  and  one  of  which  any  man  might 
have  been  proud. 

He  afterward  wrote  at  length  upon  this  subject, 
and  threw  much  light  upon  educational  science.  He 
anticipated  many  of'  the  wants  of  society  in  this 
particular,  and  education  has  since  that  time  been 
advancing   in    the  path  which  he  pointed  out.     He 


VII^IVS    O.V  EDUCATIOX.  369 

greatly  favored  teaching  by  experiment  rather  than 
by  rote  ;  he  deemed  it  better  to  address  the  eye  by 
objects,  and  collections  of  specimens  from  every  de- 
partment of  natural  history,  than  to  address  the  ear, 
as  was  then  the  custom,  by  a  recital  of  their  names 
and  properties.  He  saw,  too,  that  in  a  country,  and 
under  a  government  like  ours,  a  system  different 
from  that  of  the  old  world  was  needed,  a  system 
peculiarly  national ;  and,  above  all,  he  insisted  upon 
uniting  moral  with  literary  and  scientific  culture. 
Nor  were  his  labors  in  vain,  and  he  is  worthy  to  be 
regarded  for  his  toil,  in  this  field,  as  a  public  bene- 
factor. 


LIFE   OF  ELDER    WALTER   SCOTT. 


CHAPTER    XXIV. 

Discussions  growing  out  of  Scott's  plea — His  own  distaste  for  con- 
troversy— Debate  between  Hayden  and  Hubbard — A  short  con- 
troversy—  The  crawfish  hole  argument — Hartzell  and  Waldo's 
discussion — The  farmer  and    scholar  meet. 

FOR  several  years  after  Scott  came  before  the 
people  with  his  plea  for  the  restoration  of  the 
primitive  gospel,  public  discussions  were  frequent. 
Wherever  he  or  his  fellow-laborers  came,  the  whole 
community  was  thrown  into  a  ferment,  which  was 
but  the  natural  result  of  views  so  long  unquestioned 
being  assailed  and  brought  into  doubt,  and  others, 
new  and  strange,  presented  and  enforced  with  rare 
ability.  But  this  was  not  all,  the  new  views  were 
readily  adopted  by  many  who  had  long  rejected  the 
orthodox  views  as  contradictory  ;  and  even  many  of 
those  who  had  previously  accepted  them  fell  in  with 
the  teaching  of  the  men  whom  they  regarded  at  first 
as  turning  the  world  upside  down. 

This,  more  than  all  things  else,  aroused  the  leaders 
of  the  various  religious  parties  to  the  defense  of  their 
long-cherished  doctrines,  and  caused  them  to  forget, 
for  a  season,  their  old  rivalries,  and  unite  against  the 
Disciples  whom  they  regarded  as  a  common  foe. 

Prior  to  this  time,  the  contest  had  been  between 
the  partisans  of  the  difl^erent  and  conflicting  creeds — 
Calvinism  against  its  opposite,  Arminianism  ;  Uni- 
versalism  against  Partialism,  or  universal  redemption 


Q  UES  TIONS  DISCUSSED.  3  J I 

against  particular  redemption  ;  sovereign  and  irre- 
sistible grace  on  one  side,  and  free  will  on  the  other. 
Faith  alone,  against  faith  and  works,  and  numberless 
other  points  of  difference,  exercised  the  skill  and  zeal 
of  the  various  religious  teachers,  each  of  which  was 
like  a  faithful  watchman  on  the  walls  of  his  own  little 
Zion,  quick  to  perceive,  and  ready  to  repel  any  dan- 
ger that  might  threaten,  and  equally  ready  to  assail 
the  weak  points  of  the  foe. 

Nothing  can  be  clearer  than  that  this  state  of 
things  could  not  have  prevailed  had  the  Bible,  as  the 
only  rule  of  faith  and  practice,  never  been  departed 
from  ;  for  no  one  could  for  a  moment  entertain  the 
thought  that  views  perfectly  contradictory  could  be 
found  in  the  Bible,  for  that  would  destroy  faith  in  it- 
as  the  Word  of  God. 

The  contest  would  have  been  interminable  had 
not  a  new  element  been  introduced  ;  for  the  various 
creeds  and  religious  systems  were  of  equal  au- 
thority— that  is,  they  were  equally  the  work  of  man  ; 
and  the  Bible  was  resorted  to,  not  in  order  to  find 
the  system  that  was  attempted  to  be  established, 
but,  if  possible,  to  draw  from  it  something  that 
would  seemingly  sustain  it.  Calvinists  would  ad- 
duce passages  taken  out  of  their  connection  to 
prove  unconditional  election,  and  the  Universalists 
others,  to  prove  that  the  entire  race  would  be  saved 
unconditionally ;  while  the  conclusions  of  both  w%*-e 
at  utter  variance  with  such  clear  and  unmistakable 
declarations  of  conditionality  as  *'  He  (Christ)  be- 
came the  author  of  an  eternal  salvation  to  all  them 
that  obey  him,"  and  "Blessed  are  they  that  do  his 
commandments,"    which    would    be    unmeaning    if 


3/2  LIFE  OF  ELDER   WALTER   SCOTT. 

Christ  were  the  author  of  an  eternal  salvation  to  all 
the  disobedient  ;•  and  if  those  who  did  not  do  his 
commandments  were  as  safe  as  those  who  did;  both 
}:)arties  ignoring  the  decisions  of  the  last  day — the 
"well  done"  of  final  approval,  and  the  ** depart"  to 
endless  woe.  Learned  men  would  -make  the  Mosaic 
covenant  and  the  new  covenant,  or  covenant  in 
Christ,  identical,  in  the  face  of  all  the  various  terms 
employed  by  an  apostle  to  show  that  they  were  dif- 
ferent and  distinct.  He  calls  the  latter  a  "  better 
covenant,"  a  **  second  covenant,"  a  "  new  covenant," 
one  "  not  according  to,"  or  unlike  the  Mosaic — all 
of  which  clearly  imply  another ;  and  yet  it  was  the 
same!  They  could  not  fail,  however,  to  perceive 
that  two  covenants  were  spoken  of;  and,  as  it  would 
not  suit  their  purpose  to  admit  that  the  Mosaic  was 
the  first,  they  proved  that  a  covenant,  which  they 
claimed  had  been  made  with  Adam,  was  the  first, 
by  reference  to  Gal.  iii :  12:  "And  the  law  is  not 
of  faith  ;  but  the  man  that  doeth  them  shall  live  in 
them ;"  while  Paul  uses  it  with  reference  to  the 
Mosaic  covenant.  With  equal  clearness  and  satis- 
faction to  themselves,  infant  baptism  was  proved  by 
the  passage,  "  suffer  little  children  to  come  unto 
me,  and  forbid  them  not,  for  of  such  is  the  kingdom 
of  heaven  ;"  this  was  reo:arded  as  clear  .and  unmis- 
takable  evidence  that  they  were  baptized,  although 
the  sacred  record  says,  that  "  he  took  them  in  his 
arms,  put  his  hands  on  them,  and  blessed  them." 
But  a  great  change  took  place  when  the  Disciples 
said,  show  us  your  system  in  the  Bible;  you  must 
not  simply  get  your  proof,  but  you  must  get  the  prop- 
osition— the    thing  to  be   proved — from   t^at  book  ; 


THE  BIBLE  AND    TRADITION.  -^Jl 

it  will  not  answer  to  get  your  doctrine  or  practice 
from  other  sources,  and  attempt  to  sustain  them  by 
'texts  of  Scripture  which  were  written  with  reference 
to  entirely  different  matters;  such 'a  course  is  not 
treating  the  Word  of  God  fairly,  but  rather  to  per- 
vert it.  Confident,  however,  of  the  strength  of 
their  positions  and  their  hold  upon  the.  public  mind, 
and  regarding  the  Disciples  as  few  and  feeble,  and 
easy  to  be  crushed  by  a  combined  effort,  the  leaders 
of  the  various  religious  parties  rather  invited  than 
shunned  controversy,  while  the  little  band,  armed 
with  the  Sword  of  the  Spirit,  which  is  the  Word  of 
God,  w^ere  calm  and  confident. 

The  strife  soon  waxed  hot,  and  those  who  wielded 
the  blade  of  heavenly  temper  soon  showed  the 
superiority  of  that  weapon  over  all  the  arms  of  sec- 
tarian warfare.  No  armor  of  human  device  was  proof 
against  the  old  Jerusalem  blade,  and  its  quick,  bright 
flashing  in  every  contest  against  long-cherished  and 
time-honored  errors  was  ever  the  harbinger  of  speedy 
and  glorious  victory.  No  weapon  formed  against  it 
could  pi-osper;  the  learning  and  talent  brought  to 
sustain  false  and  unscriptural  views  were  of  little 
avail  in  this  struggle  ;  men  of  the  humblest  attain- 
ments, destitute  of  the  aids  and  adornments  of 
learning,  with  minds  replete  with  the  Word  of  God, 
and  hearts  filled  with  the  love  for  it,  because  it  was 
His  Word,  met  with  those  the  most  gifted  in  all  other 
respects  ;  but  the  Sword  of  the  Spirit  in  their  hands, 
like  the  famous  Damascus  blade,  pierced  through  the 
mail  of  false  logic,  by  which  error  was  defended,  and, 
like  the  same  weapon,  cut  asunder  the  Milken  scarf 
of  brilliant    rhetoric,    which  was    so    often    used    to 


374  J^IJ'E  OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCOTT. 

render  plausible  the  traditions  of  men,  which  long 
had  usurped  the  place  of  the  commandments  of 
God.  Or,  to  change  the  figure,  the  ponderous 
Goliaths  of  orthodoxy,  clad  in  all  the  panoply  of 
learning,  libraries,  and  bodies  of  divinity,  sustained 
by  popular  sentiment,  and  long  and  unquestioned 
usage,  fell  before  the  men  of  one  book,  as  the  mailed 
giant  fell  before  the  stripling  David,  armed  only  with 
his  sling  and  a  few  smooth  stones  from  the  brook. 
A  single,  "thus  saith  the  Lord"  would  sweep  away 
a  host  of  inferences,  however  plausible,  and  a  single 
scriptural  example  outweigh  the  reasonings  of  a 
multitude,  no  matter  how  learned  and  pious  they 
might  be. 

The  truth  proved  to  be  mighty,  and  many  persons 
of  influence,  learning,  and  position,  at  the  sacrifice 
of  nearly  all  that  men  hold  dear,  changed  their  reli- 
gious views  and  relations  under  the  teachings  of 
men  every. way  their  inferiors,  save  in  purity  of  life, 
and  an  intimate  acquaintance  with  the  English 
Bible. 

Possessed,  as  Elder  Scott  was,  of  great  learning, 
as  well  as  of  great  and  various  talents,  it  is  some- 
what remarkable  that  he  took  but  little  part  in  the 
numerous  discussions  of  the  day  which  grew  out  of 
the  plea  which  he  was  the  first  to  advocate  with 
such  marked  ability  and  success.  He  was  not  fond 
of  controversy,  although  his  preaching  did  much  to 
provoke  it,  as  it  was  in  direct  conflict  with  the 
prevalent  religious  teaching  of  the  times;  but  he  was 
so  guarded  and  careful  in  his  public  addresses  that 
those  wHb  differed  from  him  were  under  the  ne- 
cessity of  opposing,  not  a  new  theory  or  system  of 


NOT  FOND  OF  CONTROVERSY.  3/5 

the  preacher's  diftering  from  and  subversive  of  ihcir 
own,  but  were  compelled  to  deny  what  the  Scriptures 
expressly  affirmed.  He  was  often  interrupted  and 
rudely  assailed  during  his  public  ministrations  ;  and 
at  such  ti-mes  his  answers  were  so  ready,  so  much  to 
the  purpose,  and,  withal,  in  such  a  meek  and  gentle 
spirit,  that  he  scarcely  ever  failed  to  leave  a  good  im- 
pression on  those  who  were  present ;  and,  during  his 
long  editorial  career,  whenever  his  views  were  called 
in  question,  he  was  always  able  to  thrust  or  parry, 
as  he  was  on  the  offensive  or  defensive,  with  a  skill 
and  temper  truly  admirable — and  yet  he  was  not  a 
controversialist. 

This  peculiarity,  for  such  it  doubtless  was,  when  the 
spirit  of  investigation,  which  was  every-where  aroused 
by  his  preaching,  is  considered,  arose  not  from  any 
want  of  the  logical  and  critical  faculty,  for  few  men  of 
modern  times  have  given  better  evidence  of  the  pos- 
session of  such  power  than  he  ;  but  the  personalities, 
and  the  desire  for  victory,  apart  from  the  interests  of 
truth,  were  distasteful  in  the  highest  degree  to  his  truth- 
ful and  sensitive  nature.  He  loved  to  preach  the  glad 
tidings,  as  found  in  the  gospel  message,  more  than 
disputation  ;  to  call  sinners  to  repentance,  more  than 
to  triumph  over  an  adversary  ;  he  was  willing  to 
leave  his  views  to  the  fate  they  deserved,  well  know- 
ing that  if  true  they  could  not  be  overthrown,  and 
without  a  wish  for  their  success  if  they  were  other- 
wise than  true. 

Discussion,  however,  in  those  times  was  not  only 
needful  and  beneficial,  but  unavoidable  ;  rendered  so 
by  the  revolutionary  nature  of  his  plea  for  an  aban- 
donment of  all  that  was  modern,  new,  and  of  human 


3/6  LdFE   OF  ELDER  WALTER  SCOTT. 

device  in  religion,  and  a  return  to  that  which  was 
ancient,  old,  and  divine.  The  times  demanded  men 
of  war,  and  such  were  many  of  his  fellow-laborers  ; 
and,  indeed,  nearly  all  the  preachers  in  the  early 
period  of  this  movement,  like  the  Jews  who  came 
from  captivity  to  restore  the  temple,  were  obliged  to 
defend  from  the  violence  of  their  enemies  the  walls 
they  were  striving  to  uprear. 

One  of  these  discussions  took  place  in  Portage 
County,  between  Stephen  M.  -Hubbard,  a  Methodist 
minister,  and  William  Hayden,  as  early  as  1828,  on 
the  design  of  baptism  ;  but  the  time,  which  was  lim- 
ited to  a  single  afternoon,  was  not  sufficient  for  a  full 
examination  of  the  subject.  This  debate,  however, 
gave  rise  to  another  upon  the  same  question,  in  which 
three  speakers  on  each  side  participated ;  and  the  fact 
that  the  number  of  the  Disciples  was  soon  greatly 
increased  in  the  region  where  the  debate  took  place, 
showed  very  clearly  which  side  was  regarded  as  suc- 
cessful. Another  very  brief  yet  decisive  contest  was 
upon  the  proposition  that  *'  the  sinner  is  justified  by 
faith  onlyT  The  minister  who  affirmed  set  forth  his 
proof,  and  having  consumed  about  half  an  hour  took  his 
seat.  His  opponent  read  in  reply  the  following  pas- 
sage of  Scripture  :  "Ye  see  then  how  that  by  works  a 
man  is  justified,  and  not  by  faith  only  "  (J as.  ii :  24),  and, 
though  not  regarding  or  intending  it  as  proof  that  jus- 
tification w^as  by  works  only,  he  saw  that  it  was  fatal 
to  the  position  of  his  opponent,  so,  without  a  word  of 
comment,  he  took  his  seat.  Again  the  affirmative 
attempted  to  sustain  his  position,  and  again  he  was 
met  by  the  reading  of  the  same  verse  ;  an  hour's 
labor  had  been  spent  and  spent  in  vain  ;  it  had  been 


HARTZRL  AND   WALDO.  2>77 

agreed  that  the  Scriptures  should  decide,  and  the 
verse  which  denied  the  proposition  under  discussion 
had  not  been  disposed  of,  and  he  wisely  concluded  to 
abandon  a  contest  in  which  the  way  to  success  was 
so  effectually  closed  by  a  single  passage  from  the 
Book  of  God. 

The  next  case  will  be  given  more  in  detail,  as  it  is 
a  representative  one,  and  well  calculated  to  show  the 
■advantage  which  truth  giv^es  in  a  discussion,  above  all 
the  aids  and  appliances  of  learning  and  culture  when 
these  are  employed  in  the  interests  of  error.  The 
disputant  in  this  instance,  on  the  part  of  the  Disciples, 
was  Jonas  Hartzel,  a  plain  farmer,  with  little  learn- 
ing, but  a  man  of  strong  native  sense,  who,  by  close 
thought  and  careful  reading  of  the  Scriptures,  had 
become  quite  a  forcible  speaker,  his  strength  consist- 
ing in  his  ability  to  show  what  the  teaching  of  the 
Bible  was  upon  any  given  theme.  His  opponent  was 
the  Rev.  Mr.  Waldo,  a  minister  of  the  Congregational 
Church,  a  gentleman  of  fine  literary  attainments,  a 
fluent  speaker,  well  read  upon  the  theological  ques- 
tions of  the  day,  and  at  that  time  at  the  head  of  a 
literary  institution  on  the  Western  Reserve. 

The  circumstances  were  as  follows  :  Mrs.  Julia  A. 
King,  wife  of  Judge  King,  of  Warren,  and  a  member 
of  the  Congregational  Church,  having  heard  Mr. 
Hartzel,  became  convinced  of  the  truth  as  presented 
by  him,  and  consequently  that  her  own  religious  posi- 
tion was  untenable  ;  after  examining  the  matter  fully, 
she  decided  upon  leaving  the  popular  church  of 
which  she  was  a  member  and  uniting  with  the  Dis- 
ciples, a  step  which  required  more  moral  courage  and 
involved  a  greater  sacrifice  then  than  now.  This 
32 


3/8  LIFE  OF  ELDER   IV ALTER  SCOTT. 

change  caused  quite  an  excitement,  the  social  position 
of  Mrs.  King,  her  standing  in  the  church,  and  culti- 
vated manners  causing  her  to  be  regarded  as  one  of 
the  most  influential  persons  in  the  circle  in  which  she 
moved.  The  Rev.  Waldo,  then  residing  at  Farming- 
ton,  Trumbull  County,  hearing  of  the  defection  of 
such  a  prominent  personage,  visited  Warren,  and 
sought  an  interview  with  Mrs.  King,  with  the  benev- 
olent purpose  of  convincing  her  of  her  error,  and  of 
inducing  her  to  return  to  the  fold  from  whence  she  had 
strayed.  The  desired  interview  was  readily  granted, 
and  Mr.  Hartzel  was  invited  to  be  present.  Mr. 
Waldo,  to  his  great  astonishment,  found  the  lady  well 
prepared  to  defend  the  step  she  had  taken,  and  Mr. 
Hartzel,  in  a  short  time,  discovered  that  she  needed 
no  aid  at  his  hands,  and  remained  a  silent  and  grati- 
fied listener.  Mr.  Waldo  made  "baptism  for  the  re- 
mission of  sins"  the  chief  point  of  attack, .declaring 
that  it  was  a  dangerous  and  most  ruinous  heresy. 
Mrs.  King  defended  herself  so  skillfully  that  Mr. 
Waldo  became  somewhat  irritated  at  being  foiled  by 
one  of  the  weaker  vessels,  and,  turning  to  Mr.  Hart- 
zel, who  was  quietly  watching  the  progress  of  the 
contest,  said  :  **  Sir,  I  will  debate  this  question  with 
Alexander  Campbell  or  yourself."  Mr.  Hartzel  was 
too  much  gratified  at  the  course  matters  were  taking, 
to  have  any  desire  to  interfere,  and  made  no  reply, 
and  the  conversation  between  Mr.  Waldo  and  Mrs. 
King  was  resumed.  At  its  close,  Mr.  Hartzel  said 
to  Mr.  Waldo  :  "  I  now  accept  your  invitation  to  a 
discussion,  but  it  is  now  too  late  to  settle  the  prelim- 
inaries ;  we  can  do  that,  however,  by  letter  ;  and  it 
will  be  proper  for  you  to  write  first."    In  a  short  time 


HARTZEL  AND   WALDO.  379 

Mr.  Hartzel  received  a  letter,  in  which  the  time 
place,  rules  of  order,  and  question  to  be  debated  were 
propesed,  all  of  which  were  accepted  without  change. 
The  discussion  took  place  in  the  presence  of  a 
large  and  deeply  interested  audience.  The  question 
was  :  "Should  penitent  sinne-rs  be  baptized  for  the  re- 
mission of  sins.-^"  and,  of  course,  Mr.  Hartzel  affirmed. 
The  debate  occupied  two  days,  with  night  sessions. 
Mr.  Waldo  proved  to  be  an  honorable  disputant  ;  his 
opponent  was  not  inferior  to  him  in  that  respect,  and 
the  result  was  highly  gratifying  to  Mrs.  King  and 
her  friends.  It  was  soon  rumored  that  Mr.  Waldo 
was  not  satisfied  with  his  efforts,  and  rumor  was 
soon  converted  into  certainty  as  follows  :  Mr.  Hartzel 
having  occasion  to  visit  Farmington,  made  a  friendly 
call  on  his  former  antagonist,  and  was  kindly  received. 
After  some  general  conversation,  Mr.  Waldo  remarked, 
"  I  am  not  satisfied  with  my  efibrt  in  our  recent  dis- 
cussion ;  I  needed  more  time,  and  I  would  like  to 
discuss  the  same  question  with  you  again."  Mr. 
Hartzel  replied,  that,  as  far  as  he  was  concerned,  he 
was  satisfied  with  the  debate,  but  added,  "If  you  desire 
further  discussion,  there  are  other  differences  between 
us  ;  for  instance,  the  mode  and  subjects  of  baptism." 
Mr.  Waldo  replied  :  "  The  mode  is  unimportant  ;  and 
if  baptism  be  for  the  remission  of  sins,  infants  can 
not  be  the  subjects  of  the  ordinance."  This,  of  course, 
was  Mr.  Hartzel's  own  view  of  the  case,  so  another 
discussion  on  th^  old  issue  was  agreed  on,  and  Youngs- 
town  as  the  place.  They  met  according  to  agreement, 
the  disputants  each  selected  a  moderator,  and  these 
selected  Mr.  Rockwell,  an  honorable  lawyer,  as  pres- 
ident of  the  boaid.     As  Mr.  Waldo  had  complained 


38o  LIFE  OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCOTT. 

of  want  of  time  at  the  former  discussion,  which  was 
two  clays,  it  was  agreed  that  this  should  continue 
three  days.  Yet,  strange  to  tell,  but  one-half  of  the 
time  was  consumed  when  Mr.  Waldo  proposed  that 
he  should  ask  five  questions,  which  Mr.  Hartzel  was 
to  answer,  and  then  the  discussion  should  close.  To 
this  proposition  Mr.  Hartzel  made  no  reply.  Mr. 
Waldo  then  appealed  to  the  audience  to  decide  upon 
the  merits  of  his  proposal,  but  they  declined  to  vote 
upon  the  matter.  Mr.  Hartzel  then  rose,  and  said  : 
"  Mr.  Waldo,  catechisms  are  for  the  edification  of 
children ;  please  refer  your  proposal  to  the  board  of 
moderators."  He  did  so,  but  the  moderators  decided 
that  they  had  nothing  to  do  with  any  new  arrange- 
ment, and  that  the  discussion  must  be  continued  in 
accordance  with  the  rules  which  had  been  agreed 
upon.  A  long  and  significant  pause  followed  this 
decision,  when  Mr.  Hartzel,  who  perceived  where  the 
difficulty  lay,  rose  and  said  :  **  Mr.  Waldo,  I  will  now 
propose  the  condition  on  which  you  may  retire  from 
this  discussion  ;  if  you  will  say  to  the  audience  that 
you  have  nothing  more  to  ofier,  you  may  withdraw." 
This  was  a  hard  alternative,  but  he  was  defeated,  and 
knew  it,  and,  though  it  was  exceedingly  mortifying, 
it  would  have  been  worse  to  have  attempted  to  main- 
tain a  useless  contest,  and  he  therefore  rose  and  said : 
"Ladies  and  gentlemen,  I  have  nothing  more  to 
ofier." 

It  must  be  remembered  that  Mr.  Waldo  gave  the 
challenge,  and  that  in  education  he  had  greatly  the 
advantage  of  his  opponent,  and  was,  to  say  the  least, 
his  equal  in  controversial  skill ;  and  his  defeat,  nay, 
his  utter  failure,  can  only  be  explained  on  the  ground 


THE  CRA  1 1  'FISH  IIOL  E.  3  8  1 

of  the  weakness  of  his  own  position  and  the  strength 
of  that  which  he  had  assailed. 

Sometimes  the  discussions,  then  so  frequent,  be- 
came somewhat  ludicrous,  as  in  the  following  instance  : 
The  question  under  discussion  was  the  mode  of  bap- 
tism, and,  as  usual,  the  baptism  of  the  Ethiopian  eu- 
nuch was  made  a  strong  point  by  the  advocate  of 
immersion.  His  antagonist,  who  knew  something 
of  the  power  of  ridicule,  without  thinking  that  it 
might  be  turned  against  himself,  argued  that  the 
"certain  water"  must  have  been  very  limited  in  ex- 
tent and  deficient  in  quantity,  and  concluded  by  giv- 
ing it  as  his  opinion  that  the  **  certain  water"  was 
only  a  crawfish  hole.  Those  who  are  familiar  with 
the  small  mounds  thrown  up  by  this  little  shell-fish 
will  remember  that  the  hole  is  scarcely  large  enough 
to  admit  a  good  sized  finger,  and  that  the  water  is 
often  a  considerable  distance  below  the  surface,  fre- 
quently entirely  out  of  reach.  With  great  adroitness, 
the  advocate  of  immersion  responded  :  "  If  the  sup- 
position of  the  gentleman  be  correct,  it  will  make 
good  sense  to  insert  the  term  he  has  chosen  in  the 
place  of  water  in  the  text."  He  then  proceeded, 
with  all  the  gravity  possible,  to  read  as  follows  :  "And 
as  they  went  on  their  way,  they  came  to  a  certain 
crawfisJi  hole,  and  the  eunuch  said,  See,  here  is  a 
crazvfisJi  hole,  what  doth  hinder  me  to  be  baptized.-^" 
At  this  there  was  a  slight  titter  in  the  audience,  and 
the  preacher  proceeded  with  the  reading,  but  when 
he  came  to  read  "  and  he  commanded  the  chariot  to 
stand  still,  and  they  went  down  into  the  crazvfish  hole, 
both  Philip  and  the  eunuch,"  the  titter  became  a  sub- 
dued laugh  ;  but  the  inexorable  preacher  continued, 


33 J  LIFE  OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCOTT. 

"  and  he  baptized  him  ;  and  when  they  were  come  up 
out  of  the  cmivfisJi  hole'' — this  proved  too  much,  and 
the  audience  burst  into  loud  and  long-continued  laugh- 
ter ;  and  the  preacher,  when  silence  was  in  a  measure 
restored,  turning  to  his  now  discomfited  opponent, 
very  gravely  observed  :  "  Were  we  not  discussing  a 
serious  and  important  matter,  I  should  feel  inclined 
to  say  that  my  friend  here  was  crawfishing."  This 
reference  to  the  peculiar  style  of  this  animal's  ad- 
vancing backwards  was  too  much  ;  the  audience  again 
exploded,  and  the  advocate  of  the  crawfish  hole  theory 
had  nothing  more  to  offer. 

One  of  the  most  important  of  these  encounters 
took  place  at  Newton  Falls,  in  the  autumn  of  1841. 
Messrs.  Steadman  and  Luckock,  ministers  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  had  taken  a  vow  to  root 
out  the  '*  heresy,"  as  they  termed  the  teaching  of  the 
Disciples,  from  the  Western  Reserve,  and  to  this  end 
a  discussion  was  arranged  between  them  and  Elders 
A.  B.  Green  and  M.  L.  Wilcox.  Rules  of  debate  had 
been  agreed  upon  and  signed  by  both  parties,  but 
when  the  appointed  time  arrived,  the  champions  of 
Methodism  utterly  refused  to  enter  upon  the  discus- 
sion unless  the  Rev.  Mr.  Waldo,  the  Congregational 
minister  already  alluded  to,  should  be  added  to  their 
number.  They  regarded  Messrs.  Green  and  Wilcox 
as  ignorant  and  unlearned  men,  and  by 'adding  to  their 
own  number  a  critic,  scholar,  and  theologian,  they 
hoped  to  make  their  expected  victory  a^decisive  one. 
Unjust  and  unexpected  as  this  demand  was,  it  was 
thought  best  by  Elders  Green  and  Wilcox  to  yield  to 
it,  knowing  that  a  refusal  to  do  so  would  be  regarded 
by  their  opponents  as  yielding  the  points  at  issue 


THE  FARMER   AND  SCHOLAR  MEET.         383 

without  a  Struggle.  The  choice  of  the  Rev.  Waldo 
made  it  necessary  for  the  other  party  to  choose  an- 
other, and  they  selected  John  Henry,  a  wise  choice 
on  their  part,  but  fatal,  as  the  issue  proved,  to  those 
who  had  rendered  that  choice  needful. 

The  disputants  were  all  men  of  ability,  but  John 
Henry  soon  became  chief  in  the  esteem  of  the  large 
assembly  gathered  on  that  occasion.  Few  men  could 
command  their  resources  better  than  he  ;  his  thoughts 
were  well  defined,  and  uttered  with  a  rapidity  which 
required  the  closest  attention  to  keep  up  with  them  ; 
so  self-possessed  that  it  was  impossible  to  throw  him 
off  his  guard  ;  perfectly  original  in  his  treatment  of 
his  subject ;  v/ithout  an  equal  in  that  region  in  a 
knowledge  of  the  Scriptures,  which  he  quoted  from 
memory  as  readily  and  accurately  as  others  could  read 
from  the  open  book;  quick  and  keen  in  repartee,  and 
able  to  preserve  his  gravity  while  giving  utterance  to 
things  that  convulsed  his  audience  with  laughter,  and 
yet  so  deeply  and  solemnly  in  earnest  as  to  often 
make  his  hearers  feel  as  if  the  judgment  day  were  at 
hand.  All  his  life  he  had  been  a  laborer  in  the  forest 
and  on  his  farm — was  indeed  a  farmer  still ;  was  des- 
titute of  the  advantages  possessed  by  his  opponents, 
claiming  nothing  save  a  moderate  knowledge  of  his 
mother  tongue — his  theology,  what  he  had  learned 
from  the  English  Bible. 

Mr.  Waldo  was  a  clergyman  and  magnified  his 
office,  showing  that  he  held  it  as  something  not  to  be 
despised  to  belong  to  the  clerical  order  ;  he  was  a 
classical  scholar,  the  man  of  learnins:  for  this  occasion, 
whose  province  was  to  introduce  at  the  proper  time 
the    inevitable    and    indispensable    Greek ;    he    had 


384  LIFE   OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCOTT. 

studied  theology  under  the  celebrated  Moses  Stuart, 
of  Andover  ;  was  fully  panoplied  for  the  combat ;  and, 
under  these  circumstances,  it  would  have  been  strange 
had  he  not  felt  toward  his  antagonist  somewhat  as 
did  the  mailed  Philistine  when  the  stripling  David 
came  out  to  meet  him  with  a  sling  and  stone. 

When  he  arose,  he  could  neither  conceal  his  confi- 
dence in  his  own  abilities  and  advantages,  nor  his 
contempt  for  the  views  he  was  to  assail  and  the  foe 
over  which  he  expected  to  gain  an  easy  victory.  In- 
deed, he  did  not  regard  the  subject  as  one  requiring 
serious  argument  ;  the  views  of  the  Disciples  were 
only  fit  themes  for  ridicule,  and  to  the  use  of  this 
weapon  he  applied  himself  in  a  strain  somewhat  as 
follows  :  "  The  Campbellites  have  never  understood 
the  religion  of  Christ ;  they  have  never  got  into  its 
heart ;  they  are  foolishly  pecking  away  at  the  outside  ; 
they  are  sticking  in  the  bark  ;  they  are  like  the  old 
fiddler  who  was  standing  on  a  bridge  looking  at  the 
stream  flow  by  ;  his  fiddle  fell  from  its  case  into  the 
river,  and,  as  it  floated  away,  one  of  the  bystanders 
said,  'Your  fiddle  is  gone.'  'Never  mind,'  said  the 
fiddler,  '  all  is  right ;  I  have  got  the  case  all  safe,' 
and  he  hugged  the  box  that  had  contained  the  instru- 
ment closer  than  ever  before."  He  then  proceeded: 
"I  give  the  Campbellites  warning,  thut  they  may  ex- 
pect rough  handling.  I  was  accustomed  as  v/ell  as 
my  opponent  to  swing  the  axe  and  the  maul  when  I 
was  young.  I  know  how  to  give  hard  blows  ;  let 
them  look  out.  The  Campbellites  are  like  a  parrot, 
ever  repeating  the  same  thing,  always  crying  out 
'water!  water!  it  is  water  that  purifies  the  heart!' — 
these   poor  creatures   do  not  understand   the   Bible  ; 


///•-  A7.'  ]'S  SPEL.  CII.  385 

the  Scriptures  say  :  *  Faith  that  works  by  love  purifies 
the  heart.'  "  He  for  some  other  reason  compared 
the  CampbelUtes,  as  he  called  them,  to  a  pair  of  sheep- 
shears,  and  with  such  material  made  himself  merry, 
wholly  unconscious  of  the  reckoning  so  near  at  hand  ; 
and,  having  fully  exhausted  his  quiver  of  ev^ery  shaft 
of  wit  and  satire,  with  an  air  of  perfect  complacency 
and  self-satisfaction,  he  took  his  seat. 

John  Henry's  usually  impassive  features  underwent 
frequent  changes  during  this  singular  speech,  and 
when  he  arose  to  reply,  there  was  a  dangerous  light 
in  his  keen,  piercing  eyes.  He  was  perfectly  cool 
and  collected,  but  it  was  the  calm  which  precedes  the 
blinding  flash  and  the  terrible  thunder  peal,  and  soon 
the  bolt  fell.  He  began  by  saying  :  "  My  brethren 
have  appointed  me  as  a  true  yoke-fellow  with  Mr. 
Waldo,  and  I  intend  to  follow  him  jump  for  jump  ; 
he  has  told  of  his  great  learning,  his  long  study,  his 
knowledge  of  the  Bible,  and  every  thing  connected 
with  it ;  while  we,  listening  to  his  threats  and  boasts, 
sat  in  wonder  and  amazement  at  the  mighty  things 
that  we  were  to  hear  and  see  to-day.  Buc  alas!  alas! 
how  we  have  been  disappointed  !  The  sum  and  sub- 
stance of  his  speech,  the  entire  fat  and  marrow  of  it, 
the  product  of  his  great  learning  and  preparation, 
absolutely  all  the  points  he  brought  forth  for  me  to 
answer  are  these,  which  I  have  noted  down  on  this 
bit  of  paper  —  namely:  'hickory  bark,'  *  an  empty 
fiddle-case,'  *a  parrot,'  and  'a  pair  of  sheepshears  ;' 
these  are  the  potent  a'-guments  -to  which  he  expects 
me  to  reply" — and,  holding  up  his  left  hand,  he  enu- 
merated them  upon  his  fingers  :  "  First,  hickory  bark  ; 
second,  an  empty  fiddle-case  ;  third,  a  parrot ;  fourth, 
-hi 


SS6  LIFE  OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCOTT. 

a  pair  of  sheepshears" — and  upon  these  he  rung  the 
changes,  and  made  the  task  of  answering  them  seem 
so  hopeless,  and  at  the  same  time  so  ludicrous,  that 
the  audience  was  convulsed  with  mirth  and  his  op- 
ponent overwhelmed  with  shame  and  mortification. 
But  the  end  was  not  yet.  He  proceeded  :  "  My  friend 
Mr.  Waldo  has  informed  you  that,  though  nov/  a  great 
scholar,  he  was  once  a  laboring  man  ;  that  in  his 
youth  he  swung  the  axe  and  mallet.  All  I  have 
to  say  on  that  point  is,  that  his  being  here  to-day 
alive  and  well  is  a  certain  proof  that  he  knew  better 
how  to  use  those  tools  than  he  does  how  to  use  the 
Bible  ;  for  if  he  had  handled  the  axe  and  mallet  as 
awkwardly  as  he  does  the  Bible,  it 's  a  God's  blessing 
that  he  did  not  beat  his  brains  out  long  years  ago." 
He  then  assailed,  in  the  most  merciless  manner,  Mr. 
Waldo's  method  of  quoting  Scrii)ture.  *'  My  friend," 
said  he,  ''has  given  us  but  little  proof  of  his  biblical 
knowledge  ;  the  little  he  did  quote — 'Faith  that  works 
by  love  purifies  the  heart' — was  inaccurate;  he  took 
two  unconnected  passages  and  stuck  them  together, 
and  quoted  that  for  Scripture.  You  can  make  any 
thing  you  please  out  of  the  Bible  in  that  way.  Let 
me  try.  *  On  the  last  great  day  of  the  feast,  Jesus 
stood  and  cried.  By  the  Gods  of  Pharoah  ye  are  all 
spies.'  'Thou  shalt  not  muzzle  the  ox  that  treadeth 
out  the  corn,  for  of  such  is  the  kingdom  of  heaven.' 
'Judas  went  out  and  hanged  himself;  go  thou  and 
do  likewise,  and  what  thou  doest,  do  quickly.'  There, 
that  is  the  w^ay  Mr.  Waldo  quotes  Scripture." 

The  effect  of  this  speech,  rapid  and  sharp  as  the  dis- 
charge of  musketry,  was  truly  wonderful ;  the  audience 
was  convulsed  with  laughter,  and  the  blow  came  so 


IIENR  V '  S  SPEE  CI  I.  38/ 

sudden  and  unexpected  upon  ]\Ir.  Waldo  that  he 
looked  upon  Henry  in  blank  astonishment  ;  the  smil- 
ing and  self-satisfied  look  with  which  he  had  taken 
his  seat  but  a  short  time  before  gave  place  to  such  a 
sudden  and  ridiculous  sobriety  as  was  ludicrous  in  the 
extreme,  and  the  most  serious  man  in  t]ie  house  could 
not  restrain  himself  at  beholding  his  puzzled,  amazed, 
and  confounded  look.  This  terrible  onslaught  Henry 
followed  by  a  clear  and  convincing  presentation  of 
the  teaching  of  the  Bible  on  the  points  at  issue, 
which  was  perfectly  overwhelming. 

The  discussion  continued  for  four  days,  before  the 
close  of  which  Henry  was  compelled  to  leave  in  order 
to  fulfill  a  previous  engagement.  The  then  youthful 
A.  S.  Hayden,  one  of  Scott's  early  converts,  was  ap- 
pointed to  fill  his  place  ;  and,  though  he  had  never 
before  taken  part  in  a  public  discussion,  the  cause 
which  he  defended  lost  nothing  in  his  hands.  Henry 
himself  was  one  of  Scott's  earliest  and  most  intimate 
associates,  and  not  only  understood  the  plea  which 
he  advocated,  but  defended  it  on  many  occasions  with 
rare  ability. 

The  result  of  this  and  similar  discussions  was  that 
the  number  of  the  Disciples  was  greatly  increased  ; 
some  who  had  been  enemies  and  assailants  were  won 
over,  and  in  some  instances  became  preachers  of  the 
faith  they  had  once  striven  to  destroy. 


,SS  LIFE  OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCOTT. 


CHAPTER    XXV. 

His  plea  for  the  name  Christian — Visit  to  the  East — Views  on  Millerism — 
Removal  to  Pittsburg — Labors  as  Colporteur — Description  of  the 
Great  Fire. 

ABOUT  1840,  the  name  by  which  the  people 
should  be  known  who  had  been  gathered  to- 
gether by  the  labors  of  Campbell  and  Scott  began  to 
be  ^n  important  question.  Hitherto  they  had  been 
known  as  Reformed  Baptists  or  Reformers,  Disciples, 
Campbellites,  and  at  an  early  stage  of  the  movement, 
in  some  localities  where  Scott  labored,  they  were 
termed  Scottites.  This  use  of  his  name  Elder  Scott 
publicly  rebuked  by  calling  one  who  had  made  ship- 
wreck of  his  faith  a  Scottite.  The  necessity  of  hav- 
ing one  name  as  the  body  increased  in  numbers  be- 
came manifest,  and,  as  points  of  difference  in  other 
matters  had  been  settled  by  the  Word  of  God,  it  was 
supposed  that  this  also  could  be  decided  in  the  same 
way.  Modern  names,  of  course,  made  no  figure  in 
the  discussion,  as  they  were  given  by  the  other  par- 
ties, and  .were  rather  nicknames  than  otherwise,  and 
never  had  been  acknowledged  by  those  to  whom  they 
were  given,  and  the  choice  was  soon  narrowed  down 
to  two — namely  :  Disciples  of  Christ  and  Christians. 
For  the  former  Mr.  Campbell  contended,  while  Scott 
thought  that  stronger  reasons  could  be  urged  in  favor 
of  the  latter.  Mr.  Campbell  regarded  the  name  "  Dis- 
ciples of  Christ"  as  preferable  on  several   accounts, 


PLEA  FOR   THE  NAME  CIIRISTL-IX.  389 

but  the  reasons  which  doubtless  weighed  most  with 
him  were,  that  the  name  Christian  had  been  appro- 
priated by  a  people  who  were  regarded  as  denying 
the  divinity  of  Christ,  and  that  no  religious  denomi- 
nation would  ever  consent  to  its  being  worn  by  the 
new  party,  as  it  would  be  a  reflection  on  themselves 
for  having  abandoned  it  for  some  other. 

Elder  Scott  was  of  the  opinion  that  to  call  Bible 
things  and  persons  by  Bible  names  was  a  correct 
principle,  whether  other  parties  would  admit  and  prac- 
tice it  or  not,  and  thought  that  they  would  be  as  likely 
to  object  to  the  name  "Disciples  of  Christ"  as  to 
the  name  Christian  ;  that  the  latter  meant  all  that 
the  former  did,  and  even  more,  being  a  more  exten- 
sive term,  and  better  than  any  or  all  others  describ- 
ing .the  relation  of  the  saint  to  the  Savior.  He, 
moreover,  urged  that  the  word  "Disciple"  was  not  a 
proper  name  at  all,  but  a  comriion  noun,  and  hence 
but  a  relative  designation,  like  brethren,  children, 
saints,  and  that  as  the  Holy  Scriptures  infornv  us 
that  "  the  disciples  were  named  Christians,"  no  other 
name  could  be  lawful  or  necessary.  He  likewise 
argued  from  the  language  of  Agrippa  to  Paul,  "almost 
thou  persuadest  me  to  be  a  Christian,"  that  the  apos- 
tle was  persuading  men  to  become  Christians,  and 
that  the  commendation  of  the  church  at  Pergamos, 
"  Thou  boldest  fast  my  name,"  and  the  similar  one  to 
the  church  at  Philadelphia,  "Thou  hast  not  denied 
my  name,"  sanctioned  the  use  of  the  name  Christian. 
"It  is,"  said  he,  "a  royal  name,  if  we  retain  and 
honor  it,  and  we  can  not  honor  it  unless  we  retain  it." 
He  gave  also  a  fine  analysis  of  the  passage  in  Acts  xi : 
26 :  "  The   disciples   were   called  Christians   first   in 


390  LIFE  OF  ELDER    WALTER  SCOTT. 

Antioch,"  arguing  that  the  name  was  given  by  Bar- 
nabas and  Paul  by  divine  authority  and  direction,  and 
showed,  by  the  admission  of  the  greatest  names  in 
theology,  that,  in  opposition  to  the  practice  of  the 
various  churches  which  they  represented,  the  mem- 
bers of  the  primitive  church  were  known  every-where 
as  Christians.  He  also  introduced  the  well-known 
fact,  that,  when  the  followers  of  Jesus  were  brought 
before  the  pagan  magistrates  in  the  days  of  the  per- 
secuting emperors,  the  question  proposed  to  each  one 
was,  "Are  you  a  Christian?"  and  that  to  own  this 
name  was  a  capital  crime  ;  and  in  his  mind  it  was  a 
name  not  only  taken  from  that  of  the  Master,  and 
descriptive,  as  no  other  was,  of  the  pardoned  sinner's 
relation  to  him,  but  also  one  that  bore  the  seal  of  the 
blood  of  the  martyrs. 

Since  the  period  of  this  discussion  the  other  names 
have  gradually  become  less  common,  and  it  now 
seems  probable  that  the  one  name,  "  Christian,"  will 
be  the  only  one  by  which  the  people  separated  by  the 
labors  of  Scott  and  Campbell  will  be  known. 

During  tlie  winter  of  1841-42,  Elder  Scott  spent 
some  three  months  in  the  East,  visiting  successively 
Baltimore,  Philadelphia,  and  New  York.  He  gives 
the  following  account  of  his  journey  over  the  Alle- 
ghany Mountains,  and  the  truly  warm  and  primitive 
Christian  reception  he  met  with  at  his  journey's  end  : 

"Friday  morning  being  snowy,  and  the  passengers  for 
the  East  numerous,  each  stowed  himself  away  in  his  respect- 
ive seat  in  the  stage  the  best  and  warmest  way  he  might, 
and  late  in  the  evening  of  the  same  day  we  all  reached  the 
foot  of  the  Alleghanies,  and  began  amidst  a  snow-storm  to 
ascend  the  mountains.     Our  stage  broke  down,  but  with- 


VISIT  TO  THE  EAST.  39 1 

out  damage  to  the  passengers.  Here  I  may  just  note  that 
perhaps  never  was  it  before  the  fortune  of  a  poor  Christian 
to  be  pent  up  in  the  same  small  space  with  an  equal  num- 
ber of  more  immoral  and  irreligious  persons  than  was  the 
writer  in  this  stage.  I'hey  were  utterly  abominable,  and 
we  bore  till  patience  ceased  to  be  a  virtue.  Lord  Bacon 
says  that  '  certainly  virtue  is  like  precious  odors,  most 
fragrant  when  they  are  incensed  or  crushed.'  We  felt  our- 
self,  after  a  certain  length  of  iime,  incensed  or  crushed,  or, 
as  his  lordship  means,  bruised  and  burnt  by  their  guilty  and 
irreligious  behavior,  and  we  could  restrain  the  savor  of  our 
religion  no  longer.  i\s  the  apostle  commands,  we  rebuked 
them  sharply,  but  in  a  tone,  and  temper,  and  measure  so 
suited  to  the  occasion,  as,  without  giving  offense,  to  leave 
them  rather  crest-fallen.  Fain  would  two  or  more  of  the 
oldest  and  boldest  of  them  have  rebelled,  but  the  hammer, 
and  fire,  and  flaming  sword  of  the  Spirit  of  God,  not  im- 
prudently nor  unskillfuUy  applied,  proved  more  than  a 
match  for  their  carnal  courage,  and  the  whole  were  ulti- 
mately subdued  to  silence.  In  spite  of  storms  and  other 
casualties  by  steamboat,  stage,  ^nd  steam  cars,  we  all  ar- 
rived safe  in  the  city  of  Baltimore,  early  on  the  20th  of 
December,  for  which  we  had  a  thousand  reasons  to  bless 
our  good  and  gracious  God. 

"From  the  Exchange  Hotel  we  repaired  to  the  hospit- 
able domicil  of  our  brother  in  faith  and  spirit  Alexander 
Reed,  and  certainly  never  was  man  by  man  or  brother  by 
brother  received  in  a  manner  more  congenial  with  the 
spirit  and  precept  of  primitive  Christianity  than  we  by 
him.  'Simon,'  said  our  great  and  glorious  Master  to  a 
certain  Pharisee,  *  I  entered  into  thine  house,  and  thou 
gavest  me  no  water  for  my  feet — thou  gavest  me  no  kiss." 
Not  so  with  this  man  of  God — this  disciple  of  Christ.  He 
embraced  us,  kissed  us,  and  graciously  washed  our  feet. 
Before  we  commenced  this  journey,  we  had  campaigned  it 
for  a  series  of  weeks  together;  had  lifted  from  the  bosom 


392  LIFE  OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCQTT. 

of  the  Ohio  River  twenty  converts  at  a  time,  with  our  own 
hands;  and,  enfeebled  in  body  and  exhausted  in  mind, 
had  seen  a  hundred  happy  citizens  born  into  the  kingdom 
of  our  God.  These,  with  the  difficulties  of  our  journey 
up  the  river  and  over  the  mountains,  had  well  prepared 
us  for  appreciating  the  Christian  custom  of  washing  of  feet 
attended  to  on  this  occasion  by  our  brother  Reed.  Our 
heart  was  touched.  We  thought  we  saw  in  the  faith  and 
manners  of  this  disciple  both  the  principles  and  practice  .of 
our  own  dear  Redeemer,  and  we  made  no  effort  to  restrain 
our  tears.     We  were  both  silent,  but  we  both  wept. 

''In  the  afternoon  we  had  an  introduction  to  the  two  other 
elders,  brethren  Austen  and  Dungan,  with  many  others. 
Great,  indeed,  was  the  brotherly  kindness  tendered  me  by  the 
elders  of  this  dear  congregation — not  in  word  and  courtesy 
alone,  but  in  truth  and  in  very  deed.  We  felt  at  fi'rst  what 
we  learned  at  last,  that  we  had  a  home  in  every  heart  and 
in  every  house  of  the  rich  and  the  poor  together." 

From  Nevy  York  he  returned  by  the  way  of  Phila- 
delphia and  Baltimore,  and  the  effect  of  his  visit  may 
be  gathered  from  a  letter  from  the  church  at  the  latter 
place  to  the  church  at  Carthage,  where  he  resided. 

* '  To  the  Saints  ami  Faitlifiii  Bretiiren  in  Christ  Jesus  at 
Carthage,  Ohio,  the  congregation  of  Baltimore  wisheth 
peace  : 
*'  Brethren  :  The  bearer  being  about  to  return  home, we 
conceive  it  due  to  him  and  to  you,  agreeably  to  primitive 
custom,  to  give  him  a  letter  of  commendation.    We  should 
be  wanting  in  the  courtesy,  gratitude,  and  affection  of  the 
gospel  did  we  fail  to  testify  our  approbation  of  the  course 
pursued  by  our  brother  since  he  came  among  us.      His  de- 
portment, zeal,  piety,  and  devotion  are  to  be  highly  com- 
mended, inasmuch  as  they  have  exerted  a  sanctifying  influ- 
ence upon  all  who  have  become  acquainted  with  him  here, 


L  E  TTER  FR  OM  BA  L  TIMORE.  393 

and  we  have  the  testimony  of  brethren  in  Philadelphia  and 
New  York  to  the  same  amount.  His  affectionate,  lucid, 
and  venerable  manner  of  presenting  the  truth  has  com- 
mended itself  to  all  who  heard  him,  and  been  very  instru- 
mental in  disabusing  the  public  mind  of  certain  prejudices 
and  errors  in  reference  to  some  things  we  believe  and  prac- 
tice, occasioned  by  the  unskillful  and  injudicious  manner 
of  some  unwise  though  honest  advocates.  His  addresses  to 
the  brethren  have  exerted  a  most  salutary  influence  in 
awakening  them  to  that  perfection  of  spirit  and  character 
by  which  we  must  enter  the  kingdom  of  God.  And  now 
we  do  most  cordially  commend  him  to  your  regard. 
*'  Signed  in  behalf  of  the  church. 

'•Alex.  Reed,  ^ 

' '  G  EORG  E  A  u STEN ,     V  Elders. ' ' 

"■  Francis  Duncan,  ) 

About  this  time  the  teachings  of  Miller  and  others 
with  respect  to  the  second  advent  were  creating  great 
excitement,  particidarly  in  the  West.  The  second 
appearing  of  the  Son  of  man  was,  according  to  them, 
to  take  place  in  1843  i  many  sincerely  believed  it, 
and  acted  as  those  who  expected  to  witness  that  glo- 
rious event.  Prominent  ministers  in  nearly  all  de- 
nominations became  interested  in  the  subject,  and 
the  prophecies  in  regard  to  the  second  advent  were 
eagerly  and  carefully  studied.  The  religious  press 
teemed  with  arguments  pro  and  con,  and  religious 
society  was  moved  and  agitated  as  it  never  was  be- 
fore in  this  generation.  Mr.  Campbell  wrote  and 
spoke  much  in  regard  to  the  matter,  and,  without 
committing  himself  definitely  with  regard  to  the  time, 
seemed  to  be  under  the  impression  that  the  world 
was  on  the  eve  of  some  great  and  wonderful  event. 
Mr.  Scott,  who  was  of  a  more  excitable  temperament, 


394  LIFE  OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCOTT. 

entered  warmly  into  the  discussion  and  investigation 
of  the  subject.  The  event  was  so  glorious  and  to 
him  so  desirable,  that  many  mistook  his  wishes  for 
his  convictions  in  regard  to  the  matter,  and  he  was 
recrarded  for  a  season  as  identified  with  the  Second 
Adventists.  He  mingled  freely  with  them  at  their 
meetings  and  participated  in  them,  and  invited  emi- 
nent preachers  of  that  faith  to  Carthage,  and  afforded 
them  every  facility  for  the  presentation  of  their  views 
to  the  people.  He  did  not  forget,  however,  to  present 
before  them  the  views  of  the  gospel  in  which  he  was 
regarded  as  peculiar,  and  this  he  did  so  successfully 
that  a  number  of  the  Second  Advent  preachers  em- 
braced his  views  of  the  primitive  gospel  and  publicly 
adv^ocated  the  same. 

While  he  was  greatly  excited  and  interested  by 
the  event  which  was  the  great  theme  of  the  Ad- 
ventists, he  did  not  seem  to  be  convinced  by  their 
reasonings  with  regard  to  the  time  at  which  they 
expected  it  to  take  place.  The  following,  from  his 
pen,  is  quite  as  sensible  and  pertinent  upon  this  point 
as  any  thing  written  at  that  time : 

*'  Touching  the  chronological  part  of  the  great  question 
of  the  second  coming  of  Christ,  it  is  impossible  that  men 
should  not  have  their  reflections  on  this  point,  and  perhaps 
it  is  equally  impossible  they  should  not  occasionally  hazard 
a  thought  upon  the  probable  era  of  its  occurrence ;  but 
whether  those  who  dogmatize  on  the  hour,  day,  or  year  of 
this  illustrious  event  afford  high  evidence  of  superior  sagac- 
ity, or  are  by  so  doing  likely  at  last  to  confer  any  perma- 
nent benefit  on  true  Christianity  and  the  cause  of  reforma- 
tion, may  be  deemed  extremely  problematical.  Our  Lord 
has  said  that  of  that  hour  knoweth  no  man  ;  no,  not  the 


J  'IE  \VS  ON  MILLER  ISM.  395 

angels  of  God  ;  no,  not  the  Son,  but  the  Father  onh'. 
This,  however,  was  uttered,  as  the  advocates  for  a  particular 
date  sagely  observe,  eighteen  hundred  years  ago,  when 
men,  and  angels,  and  the  Son  himself  did  not  enjoy  the 
benefit  of  the  superior  and  increased  illuminations  of  the 
New  Testament.  It  is  different  with  themselves.  They 
have  all  the  wisdom  of  the  ancients,  and  of  angels,  and 
Christ ;  and  more,  too,  they  have  the  New  in  addition  to 
the  Old  Testament;  they  have  the  apostles  in  addition  to 
the  prophets.  This,  indeed,  is  one  way  of  accounting  for 
their  own  superior  attainments  above  men,  angels,  and 
Christ  himself;  and  the  argument,  it  is  likely,  will  go  a 
good  way  to  annihilate  the  scruples  of  many.  But  a  man 
of  prudence  will  pause  before  he  leaps  into  the  conclusion 
here.  He  would  probably  oppose  serious  objections  to 
this  argument.  Perhaps  he  would  ask,  '  Who  gave  the 
New  Testament?'  'Was  it  not  the  Son?'  'And  if  the 
Son  gave  the  New  Testament,  did  he  reveal  any  thing 
there  which  he  himself  did  not  know?'  It  is  important 
to  the  character  of  those  who  have  entered  upon  disciple- 
ship  to  Christ  by  obedience  to  the  true  gospel,  that  they 
have  their  hopes  elevated  to  the  appearing  of  Christ,  and 
fixed  upon  the  purity,  perfection,  and  glory  of  his  king- 
dom ;  but  whether  an  attempt  to  accomplish  this  by  appeal- 
ing to  an  exact  and  fixed  chronology,  would  not,  if  suc- 
cessful, be  followed  by  a  reaction  disastrous  to  their  morals 
and  religion,  in  the  event  of  a  disappointment,  deserves 
solemn  deliberation.  For  the  consideration  of  all  the 
faithful,  it  ought  to  be  noted  that  the  chronology  of  the 
New  is,  in  all  its  important  features,  precisely  that  of  the  Old 
Testament.  The  chronology  of  the  Revelations  is  Daniel's 
chronology,  and  affords  no  additional  light  on  this  part  of 
the  question  touching  the  appearing  and  kingdom  of  Christ. 
Let  us,  then,  who  advocate  original  Christianity,  preach  to 
the  saints  for  their  perfection  the  second  coming  of  Christ, 


39^  LIFE  OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCOTT. 

with  all  its  adjuncts,  for  its  own  intrinsic  merits,  its  own 
divine  importance  alone,  and  leave  the  chronological  ques- 
tion where  Christ  and  his  apostles  left  it — that  is,  let  us 
leave  it  in  the  moral  uncertainty  in  which  they  left  it,  and. 
in  the  hope  of  its  speedy  occurrence,  purify  ourselves  from 
all  filthiness  of  the  flesh  and  spirit,  that  whether  he  comes 
at  midnight,  at  cock  crowing,  or  in  the  morning,  we  may 
be  accounted  worthy  to  stand  before  him. 

*'Mr.  Miller  affirms  that  this  dreadful  catastrophe  will 
occur  next  year — that  the  present  order  of  things  will  be 
arrested  in  its  boasted  progress  in  1843,  ^^^  the  world 
come  to  an  end.  We  will  not  deny  this,  and  dare  not 
affirm  it ;  but  we  do  affirm  that,  as  the  moral  lies,  not  in 
the  chronology  of  the  event  but  in  the  event  itself, 
then,  whether  the  Lord  comes  next  year  or  in  the  pres- 
ent one,  it  is  our  duty  to  prepare  ourselves  and  our  fam- 
ilies for  this  awfully  momentous  event.  Do  we  desire 
that  our  children  should  go  to  heaven,  that  they  should 
share  in  the  glory  to  be  revealed?  What,  then,  if  it 
should  be  written  on  to-morrow's  sun,  with  the  pen  of 
midnight  darkness,  that  "time  should  be  no  longer." 
Have  you,  reader,  any  rational  or  scriptural  assurance  that 
the  Lord  will  accept  your  children  with  yourself?  Were 
the  sign  of  the  Son  of  man  now  to  appear  in  heaven, 
would  you  exult?  would  you  say,  'My  redemption  draweth 
nigh  ?'  Where  are  your. deeds  of  charity?  where  your  acts 
of  munificence  to  the  poor?  Have  you  fed  his  hungry 
ones  and  given  the  cup  of  cold  \\  ater  to  his  thirsty  saints  ? 
Have  you  clothed  the  naked,  visited  the  sick,  and  lodged 
the  stranger?  Or  has  your  obedience  been  of  a  positive 
nature  rather  than  a  moral  one  ?  Have  you  only  to  say, 
*Lord,  I  have  been  baptized' — -"'I  have  eaten  and  drunken 
at  thy  table!'  " 

In  1844,  Mr.  Scott  left  Carthage,  where  he  had 
spent  some  thirteen  laborious  and  useful  years,  and 


REMOVAL   TO  PITTSBURG.  397 

returned  to  Pittsburg,  the  scene  of  his  early  labors. 
Here  he  published  a  weekly  paper,  styled  the  *'  Prot- 
estant Unionist,"  which  was  well  supported  and  did 
good  service,  especially  in  advocating  the  union  of  all 
the  people  of  God  on  the  Bible  alone  as  the  rule  of 
faith  and  practice.  He  preached  for  both  the  church 
in  Pittsburg  and  for  the  much  larger  congregation 
in  Alleghany  City.  He  paid  much  attention  also  to 
the  instruction  of  a  class  of  young  men  in  biblical 
knowledge,  some  of  whom  became  able  ministers  of 
the  Word. 

He  also,  for  a  considerable  length  of  time,  did  serv- 
ice as  a  '*  colporteur  ;"  he  had  heard  of  the  great  good 
achieved  in  Europe,  through  the  agency  of  the  humble 
men  who  carried  the  Bible  into  every  hamlet  and 
cottage,  leaving  a  copy  wherever  it  was  needed,  wuth 
money  for  it  or  without  price,  as  the  particular  case 
required,  and  reading  to  those  who  were  unable  to 
read  the  precious  truths  of  the  Word  of  Life;  and  the 
example  seemed  one  worthy  of  imitation  and  that 
might  result  in  great  good.  Taking  a  basket  well 
filled  w^ith  Bibles  and  Testaments,  he  visited  those 
parts  of  the  two  cities  most  likely  to  be  destitute  of 
the  Scriptures,  and  actually  found  many  without  a 
copy  of  the  Word  of  God.  All  who  needed  a  Bible 
received  one,  and  his  experiences  at  the  close  of  each 
day's  labor  in  this  field  were  interesting  in  the  ex- 
treme. His  basket  of  Bibles  served  as  an  introduc- 
tion to  professors  of  every  name,  and  in  many  fam- 
ilies where  the  Bible  was  read  and  loved  he  was  long 
and  lovingly  detained  ;  aged  saints  were  strengthened 
and  comforted  as  he  read  and  commented  on  the  book 
they  loved,  and  the  young  were  delighted  and  charmed 


39^  LIFE  OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCOTT. 

with  the  wondrous  conversational  eloquence  of  a  man 
who  had  drunk,  deep  into  the  Spirit  of  the  Book  he 
was  striving  to  circulate.  He  met  with  kind  treat- 
ment from  all  classes,  Methodists,  Baptists,  Presbyte- 
rians, and  Lutherans  ;  all  bade  him  God-speed,  and 
gave  him  a  warm  welcome  whenever  he  came  back  ; 
and  had  the  history  of  the  events  of  those  days  been 
preserved,  it  would  have  formed  one  of  the  most  de- 
lightful chapters  in  his  eventful  life. 

He  met  with  some  reverses  of  fortune  about  this 
time,  but  they  were  regarded  as  light,  as  he  never  had 
much  to  lose,  and  never  set  his  heart  upon  what  he 
had.  The  chief  of  these  losses  was  by  the  great  fire 
in  1845,  which  was  somewhat  against  him  by  delaying 
the  issue  of  his  paper,  which,  however,  he  was  soon 
able  to  resume.  An  account  of  that  terrible  confla- 
gration was  given  in  an  "extra"  of  the  "Protestant 
Unionist,"  which  we  subjoin  : 

"TERRIBLE  VISITATION. 

"Like  the  broad  river  whose  silent  flow  renders  us  in- 
sensible to  the  sources  whence  it  derives  its  waters,  the 
ordinary  providences  of  God  are  so  mild  and  equable  that 
they  frequently  lull  us  to  repose,  and  fail  to  make  us  feel 
that  the  Most  High  either  pervades  them  with  his  presence 
or  controls  them  by  his  power.  It  is  when  his  judgments, 
like  the  mountain  torrent,  come  'rushing  amain  down,' 
that  man  is  made  sensibly  alive  to  his  glory.  If  night 
shines  forth  in  unsullied  beauty — calm,  broad,  and  glorious, 
mortals  rightfully  indeed,  but  thoughtlessly  alas  !  embrace 
its  sacred  repose,  and  softly  dream  away  the  lee-long  night ; 
but  if  the  Eternal  pitch  his  tent  in  the  heavens ;  if  he  make 
his  pavilion  round  about  him  dark  waters  and  thick  clouds 
of  the  sky ;  if  he  flies  upon  the  wings  of  the  wind,  and  the 


TERRIBLE   17SITATI0.\\  399 

stars  are  the  dust  of  his  teet,  men  are  wakeful,  thc-y  trehible 
and  are  afraid,  and  confess  a  present  God.  When  Morn 
enthrones  herself  on  the  brow  of  heaven,  arrayed  in  glory 
and  beauty,  heralded  by  the  throng  of  woodland  voices, 
fanned  by  scented  breezes,  her  feer  washed  in  the  dews  of 
night ;  when  Flora  scatters  her  path  with  flowers,  and  the 
whole  earth  is  responsive  to  her  all-cheerful  voice,  mortals 
are  entranced  Avith  the  beauty  and  sublimity  of  nature. 
But  does  she  come  on  in  clouds  and  storms?  Does  she  array 
herself  in  bickering  lightnings,  and  speak  to  the  nations  in 
peals  of  thunder?  then  men  stand  aghast,  they  are  aroused, 
and  hose  their  sense  of  the  sublime  and  beautiful  in  their 
reverence  for  Him 

'  Who  rules  the  whirlwind  and  directs. the  storm.' 

''  When  the  ordinary  business  of  society  proceeds 
apace,  cahii  and  unbroken,  men  silently  systematize  their 
plans  of  life  and  schemes  of  business ;  they  gradually  be- 
come proud,  imperious,  and  unfeeling.  But  let  the  gen- 
eral order  of  life  be  suddenly  interrupted  by  some  great 
calamity ;  let  the  fountains  of  the  great  deep  of  trade  and 
commerce  be  rudely  and  forcibly  broken  up ;  then  men 
perceive  that  God's  judgments  are  abroad  in  the  earth,  and 
they  learn  righteousness;  the  sympathies  of  society  are 
restored  and  generalized ;  the  storm  is  passed  ;  men  are 
refreshed ;  they  resolve  henceforth  to  live  more  according 
to  nature ;  they  reform  their  plans ;  they  do  justice,  love 
mercy,  and  walk  humbly  with  God. 

"  These  moralizings  are  preliminary  to  recording  one  of 
the  most  calamitous  and  fearful  conflagrations  that  ever  in- 
vaded the  streets  of  any  city.  One  fourth  of  Pittsburg  is 
a  heap  of  ruins — absolutely  consumed  by  fire,  so  that,  with 
one  of  old,  we  may  say,  '  Behold  and  see,  all  ye  that  pass 
by,  whether  there  be  any  sorrow  like  unto  our  sorrow 
wherewith  the  Lord    hath  afflicted  us  in    the  day  of  his 


400  LIFE  OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCOTT. 

fierce  anger.'  Almost  sixty  broad  acres  of  our  dear  city 
have  become  a  wilderness,  in  which  nothing  is  beheld  but 
stacks  of  chimneys,  shattered  colonnades,  piilars  of  black- 
ened stone,  unshapely  fragments  of  ruined  workshops  and 
overthrown  factories,  the  leaning  relics  of  ruined  temples, 
edifices,  and  public  buildings,  now,  alas  !  no  more  ! 

'*The  field  of  this  mighty  devastation  lies  in  the  form 
of  an  isosceles  triangle,  the  Monongahela  River,  for  more 
than  a  mile  in  extent,  constituting  the  base,  and  the  other 
two  sides,  commencing  at  the  two  extremes  of  this  line, 
running  diagonally  into  the  heart  of  the  city,  and  meeting 
in  a  common  point  somewhere  near  the  court-house.  The 
vast  area  embraced  in  this  regular  figure  is  said  to  have 
included  12  or  1500  houses  and  public  edifices,  not  one  of 
which  is  left  unconsumed.  All  are  reduced  to  indistin- 
guishable ruin — overthrown,  broken  down  to  the  ground, 
burnt  to  ashes. 

''  Ferry  Street  commences  at  the  Monongahela  River,  and 
extends  thence  in  a  direction  toward  the  Alleghany  River. 
It  was  near  the  Monongahela  terminus  of  Ferry  Street  the 
great  conflagration  commenced.  It  is  ascertained  to  have 
originated  in  an  ice-house,  whence  in  the  lapse  of  a  few 
hours  it  spread  its  destructive  flames  with  fearful  effect  over 
the  whole  immense  area  already  described. 

''We  could  wish  to  communicate  to  the  readers  of  the 
*  Protestant  Unionist '  some  adequate  idea  of  the  whole  ex- 
traordinary scene,  and  of  some  points  in' it  in  particular, 
but  our  faculties  are  unequal  to  the  task.  The  broad  acres, 
as  they  were  convulsed  by  the  fiery  deluge  and  swept  by 
the  whirlwind  of  flame,  presented  a  scene  so  vast  and  awful, 
and  in  some  points  so  inconceivably  grand  and  terrific,  as 
to  defy  all  our  feeble  powers  of  description.  The  ocean 
of  tumult  and  fire  would  have  supplied  matters  and  marvels 
for  tlie  faculties  of  Dante  or  Milton.  At  first  vigorously 
opposed,  repressed,  and  hemmed  in  by  the  efforts  of  the 
firemen,  the  conflagration  progressed  but  slowly,  but  at  one 


TERRIBLE   VISITATION.  4OI 

o'clock  the  wind,  veering  round  two  points  against  the 
city,  and,  arming  itself  with  the  strength  and  fury  of  a 
tempest,  spread  the  fire  abroad  with  amazing  rapidity,  and, 
by  inflamed  shingles,  fagots,  and  burning  fragments  of  win- 
dows, doors,  and  casings,  inoculated  with  the  burning  con- 
tagion every  thing  within  the  precincts  already  described  ! 
Let  the  reader  imagine  what  a  flood  of  fire  that  must  have 
been  whose  fuel  was  supplied  with  all  that  was  combustible 
in  1200  houses,  offices,  temples,  workshops,  academies, 
universities,  market-places,  and  manufactories  !  Then  it 
was  the  affrighted  populace  might  be  seen  fleeing  from 
their  inflamed  vicinities  like  a  flock  of  sheep,  happy  to  out- 
strip the  fiery  storm  that  pursued  them,  and  consumed  with- 
out remorse  all  they  owned  of  eartlily  goods  !  Hundreds 
were  beggared  in  an  hour  !  '  O  Lord,  thou  art  our  Father ; 
we  are  the  clay,  thou  art  the  potter ;  we  are  all  the  work  of 
thy  hand.  Be  not  wroth  very  sore,  O  Lord,  neither  remem- 
ber iniquity  forever ;  behold,  see,  we  beseech  thee,  we  are 
all  thy  people. ' 

''  The  burning  of  Mr.  Bakewell's  glass-house  was  a  splen- 
did and  affecting  scene  in  the  drama  of  the  great  conflagra- 
tion ;  but  the  Monongahela  House,  as  it  passed  through  the 
fiery  ordeal,  presented  to  the  eye  and  the  feelings  the  most 
awful  and  exciting  spectacle.  We  beheld  the  destruction 
of  this  great  ornament  of  our  city  with  lively  anguish.  It 
was  five  stories,  and  extended  in  breadth  across  an  entire 
square.  The  flying  fagots  first  seized  upon  the  wood  casing 
of  the  brass  cupola  with  which  the  building  was  surmounted. 
In  fifteen  minutes  it  flamed  like  a  Pharos  on  the  lofty  pile, 
then  burning  shingles  struck  against  the  eaves  of  the  build- 
ing, which  kindled  with  amazing  rapidity,  and  the  house 
forthwith  was  corniced  with  fire.  In  ten  minutes  more, 
flames  began  to  ascend  from  the  roof.  The  windows 
burned,  and  bilrst.  and  broke.  The  flames  were  speedily 
seen  devouring  the  interior ;  they  seized  upon  the  doors 
and  floors,  the  internal  casings,  and  all  the  various  articles 
34  • 


402  LIFE  OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCOTT. 

of  furniture  with  which  this  spacious  hotel  was  enriched. 
The  most  tempestuous  conflagration  now  pervaded  the  en- 
tire house ;  and  while  the  interior  raged  like  a  volcano,  the 
west  corner  and  west  side  were  lashed  with  unequaled  fury 
by  flames  from  the  adjacent  warehouses;  the  whole  edifice 
trembled  to  its  foundation  ;  its  floors  sunk,  its  doors  and 
windows  vanished  like  a  dream  ;  its  walls  fell,  and  in  an 
amazing  brief  space  of  time  it  came  forth  from  the  terrible 
ordeal  the  unshapely  ruin  which  is  now  seen  where  the 
once  celebrated  Monongahela  House  so  lately  reared  its 
head.  The  Lord  have  mercy  upon  us.  It  was  a  fearful 
sight  to  behold  !     We  are  mortals  of  a  day. 

*'We  never  before  witnessed  any  spectacle  so  extraor- 
dinary as  the  conflagration  of  the  Monongahela  bridge.  A 
few  fagots  first  dropped  upon  the  roof  of  the  structure  at 
the  end  of  the  bridge  next  the  city;  they  burnt  through 
it  in  a  moment,  and  falling,  with  other  inflamed  matter, 
upon  the  immense  quantities  of  furniture  which  had  been 
thrust  into  the  bridge  for  safety,  fired  them  instantly. 
This  caused  a  great  and  sudden  expansion,  and  the  bridge 
became  a  vast  funnel,  through  which  the  streaming  atmos- 
phere roared  with  the  noise  of  thunder.  It  must  be  remem- 
bered, however,  that  all  the  phenomena  here  were  short- 
lived truly,  for  the  whole  affair  was  over  in  twelve  minutes  ! 
A  leader  of  smoke  without,  preceded  by  a  train  of  fire 
within,  ran  along  the  eaves  of  the  structure  and  in  its 
course  fired  the  whole  length  of  the  bridge.  It  crossed 
the  river  in  seven  and  a  half  minutes.  The  floor  of  the 
bridge  now  poured  downward  toward  the  surface  of  the 
water  a  vast  volume  of  dark,  black  smoke.  This  the  winds 
turned  upward  under  the  bridge,  so  that  the  whole  inflamed 
fabric  seemed  to  rest  upon  this  as  a  basis ;  and  while  the 
entire  frame,  yet  unbroken,  glowed  with  scarlet  brightness, 
it  seemed  some  aerial  machine  panting  tcf  ascend  on  its 
black  yet  gracefully  fashioned  basis  of  cloud  to  some  des- 
tined ethereal  port  in  the  heavens.     But  lo !  in  a  moment  all 


TERRIBLE    VISITATIOX.  403 

the  phenomena  are  reversed,  changed ;  the  scarlet  weather- 
boarding  and  the  roof  are  for  an  instant  powdered  over 
with  white  ashes,  the  whole  is  then  convulsed  suddenly  and 
bursts  like  a  bubble ;  then  the  timbers  crack  and  break, 
and  the  flaming  arches  in  quick  succession  and  with  fearful 
combustion  descend  in  horrid  ruin  to  the  bosom  of  the 
river.  'O  Lord,  all  our.  righteousness  is  as  filthy  rags,  and 
we  do  all  fade  as  a  leaf,  and  our  iniquities,  like  the  wind, 
have  carried  us  away.'  'Have  mercy  upon  us,  O  Lord, 
have  mercy  upon  us,  for  we  are  weak.' 

''But  while  we  have  seen  the  monuments  of  our  civic 
greatness  yield  in  succession  to  the  devouring  flame ;  while 
we  have  witnessed  much  of  what  was  magnificent,  beauti- 
ful, and  excellent  in  our  city  reduced  to  ashes ;  while  we 
have  beheld  banks,  offices,  churches,  academies,  and  what- 
ever commanded  the  admiration  of  foreigners,  or  formed 
objects  of  just  satisfaction  to  our  own  citizens,  consumed 
by  fire,  much  is  there,  nevertheless,  in  the  whole  calamity 
to  excite  our  gratitude.  Very  few  lives  have  been  lost ; 
much  sympathy  has  been  excited  in  behalf  of  the  sufferers, 
and  a  new  and  vast  field  has  been  opened  for  the  liber- 
ality, love,  and  best  feelings  of  the  philanthropist  and  the 
Christian.  Let  it  not  be  with  us,  as  with  those  of  whom 
it  is  said,  'They  repented  not  to  give  him  glory.'  ' Let  us 
humble  ourselves  under  the  mighty  hand  of  God,  and  he 
will  exalt  us  in  due  time.'  Let  us  take  with  us  words  and 
come  and  say,  'Take  away  our  iniquities  and  receive  us 
graciously;  heal  our  backslidings  and  love  us  freely.'  And 
the  Lord  will  be  to  us  'as  the  dew.'  We  shall  'grow  as 
the  lily,'  and  shall  'cast  forth  our  roots  as  Lebanon.'  The 
Lord  grant  that  all  our  citizens  may  hear,  and  fear,  and 
rely  upon  the  Lord,  and  make  him  their  fear  forever!" 


404  LIFE  OF  ELDER  WALTER  SCOTT. 


CHAPTER    XXVI. 


Chosen  Elder  of  the  Alleghany  Church — Extracts  from  his  Diary  at  this 
period — Marriage  of  two  of  his  children — Death  of  his  wife. 


IN  addition  to  all  the  labors  we  have  mentioned, 
others  were  added  ;  after  being  a  few  years  in  the 
city  he  was  chosen  as*  bishop  or  elder  of  the  Alle- 
ghany Church,  which  imposed  upon  him  the  new 
cares  and  duties  growing  out  of  the  oversight  of  the 
flock.  For  those  duties  he  was  admirably  fitted  ;  few 
men  ever  took  a  more  sympathetic  heart  into  the 
house  of  mourning  than  he,  -or  ministered  more  ten- 
derly to  broken  hearts  the  consolations  of  the  gospel 
of  peace.  He  well  knew,  too,  how  to  deal  with  the 
erring,  and  he  was  greatly  successful  in  bringing  back 
to  the  fold  the  wanderers  that  had  strayed.  His  heart 
was  in  his  work,  and  this  made  it  pleasure  rather 
than  toil. 

A  few  pages  of  a  diary  kept  by  Elder  Scott  at  this 
period  has  fallen  into  my  hands,  which  will  give  the 
reader  a  clearer  insight  into  both  his  inner  and  out- 
ward life  than  any  other  hand  could  sketch  ;  and  it  is 
only  to  be  regretted  that  so  brief  a  record  remains  of 
a  life  so  useful  and  eventful.  In  perusing  these  daily 
jottings,  the  reader  can  not  fail  to  be  impressed  by 
the  devout  spirit  which  he  manifested,  and  the  earnest 
purpose  by  which  he  was  animated.  His  first  entry 
is  dated  Friday,  Dec.  i,  i 


EXTRACTS  FROM  II IS  DIARY.  405 

"The  first  day  of  my  eldership.  Studied,  wrote,  and 
walked  to  the  top  of  the  hill  north.  This  is  a  great  exer- 
cise for  the  lungs  and  limbs,  yet  a  small  price  for  the  rest 
and  fresh  air  with  which  it  is  rewarded  at  the  summit  of 
the  hill.  It  is  like  ascending  to  paradise.  We  breathe  a 
more  vigorous  atmosphere  and  see  all  around  the  innumer- 
able hills  that  form  the  main  features  of  the  country. 

''  In  ascending,  we  rise  from  the  idea  of  man's  weakness 
into  that  of  God's  power;  we  ascend  from  the  restlessness 
of  the  finite  to  the  tranquillity  of  the  infinite.  On  the  hill- 
top I  felt  myself  with  God.  The  wind  was  from  the 
north,  keen,  cold,  and  refreshing — the  sky  covered  with 
leaden  black  clouds,  with  the  sun  now  and  then  gleaming 
through  them  with  a  wintry  flush. 

*'  In  the  valley  below,  with  the  three  rivers  streaming 
through  it  'like  a  giant's  blood,'  lay  the  two  cities.  The 
fresh  north  wind  carried  the  smoke  from  a  thousand  chim- 
neys gracefully  toward  the  Ohio,  and  laid  it  in  a  black,  un- 
lovely mass  upon  the  Coal  Hill  side.  Began  my  descent 
running,  and  continued  it  the  whole  length  of  the  hill 
"downwards,  every  muscle  of  my  limbs  and  body  aching  in 
response  to  the  powerful  test  to  which  their  strength  and 
elasticity  were  put  by  the  exercise. 

"Sought  to  reclaim  an  erring  brother.  Visited  another 
in  reference  to  a  family  Bible.     Spent  the  night  in  study. 

"Lord's  Day,  Dec.  3,  I848^ 
"  The  great  festival — God's  great  festival ;  the  best  of  all 
the  seven.  What  a  delight  is  the  Lord's  day  !  Crowded 
with  the  grand  deeds  of  Christ — his  death,  resurrection, 
and  ascension  to  heaven — it  awakens  in  the  soul  all  the 
resplendent  recollections  of  the  kingdom  of  God.  What 
themes  does  it  afford  for  meditation  and  eloquence ! 

"I  spoke  'On  Christ  as  the  Son  of  God,  with  power, 
authority,  and  salvation.'  A  grand  topic — Matt.  14th  chap. 
One  accession  by  baptism,  and  another  by  repentance  and 


406  LIFE  OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCOTT. 

confession.  The  congregation  was  good,  but  not  over- 
flowing. In  the  afternoon,  under  the  solemn  gladness  of 
the  Lord's  Supper,  we  had  the  reception  of  the  two  new 
members,  and  the  kind  greeting  and  shaking  of  hands  of 
the  brethren  usual  on  the  occasion.  The  Disciples  were 
filled  with  joy  and  with  the  Holy  Spirit.  The  day  closed 
with  a  sermon  by  Dr.  Slosson,  during  which  I  slept  as 
sound  as  a  top,  and  was  awakened,  to  my  shame  be  it 
spoken,  only  by  the  doctor  himself,  whom  I  found,  to  my 
astonishment  on  awaking,  sitting  by  my  side.  But  this  came 
of  my  restless  and  fitful  sleep  of  the  preceding  night. 

"Monday,  Dec.  4,  1848. 

'*  Studied  Bell's  Anatomy.  What  a  marvel  of  mechan- 
ism is  the  human  skeleton  !  The  first  dash  of  this  great 
master's  pen  excited  my  admiration  and  fired  my  enthusi- 
asm. 'The  spine,'  he  says,  'is  the  center  of  muscular 
motion,  and  the  part  of  most  common  relation  in  the  sys- 
tem.' How  elegant  !  By  this  beautiful  truth  the  mind  is 
carried  at  once  down  to  the  deepest  and  most  fundamental 
thought  in  anatomical  science. 

**Wit]i  firm,  elastic  tread  I  marched  to  the  mountain, 
and  felt  that  I  had  reached  the  summit  without  requiring, 
either  for  limb  or  lung,  a  single  halt.  Then  again,  1  en- 
joyed the  feast  of  a  hundred  hills,  all  lying  in  the  quietude 
of  the  Infinite,  who  had  formed  them  a  feature  of  his  own 
power.  For  a  moment  I  retreated  to  the  back  of  the 
mountain,  that  I  might  enjoy  the  sweets  of  solitude,  that  I 
might  hold  converse  for  a  moment  with  the  great  senti- 
ment of  power  that  impressed  itself  on  the  surrounding 
scene.  We  are  the  architects  of  our  own  character  as  we 
are  of  our  own  fortune ;  I  felt  that  the  man  who  would 
ascend  into  the  serenity  of  the  Infinite  must  hold  converse 
with  the  Infinite,  the  sublime,  the  boundless.  Astronomy 
must  be  nearly  allied  to  grandeur  of  character.     The  study 


EXTRACTS  FROM  JUS  DIARY:  407 

of  the  stars  and  the  silent,  boundless  heavens,  must  be  very 
favorable  to  the  growth  of  the  higher  virtues  of  silence, 
quietude,  peace,  tranquillity,  awe,  reverence,  and  devotion. 

''With  the  multitude  of  hills  lying  all  around  me,  I 
could  not  but  lift  up  my  hat  as  being  in  the  presence  of 
God.  '  Great  and  marvelous  are  thy  works,  Lord  God 
Almighty;  just  and  true  are  thy  ways,  O  King  of  saints.* 
Involuntarily  I  repeated  that  inimitable  inspiration — the 
34th  Psalm :  '  I  will  bless  the  Lord  at  all  times,  his  praise 
shall  be  continually  in  my  mouth.' 

"This  is  the  psalm  that  the  pious  Boardman,  first  hus- 
band of  the  second  Mrs.  Judson,  directed  his  sweet  wife  to 
read  to  him  the  night  before  his  death  in  a  far  distant  land. 
Alas  !  the  thought  stirs  my  soul  to  divine  and  melancholy 
sympathy.  '  This  poor  man  cried,  and  the  Lord  heard 
him,  and  delivered  him  from  all  his  fears.'    Ps.  xxxiv. 

**  The  wind  was  direct  from  the  north  and  laid  the  smoke 
of  the  two  cities  in  an  unshapely  black  mass  against  the 
Coal  Hill  south.  A  slight  rain  came  up ;  clouds  covered 
the  heavens ;  the  day  was  damp,  dark,  and  drizzly.  The 
noise  of  the  city,  very  audible,  ascended  from  below  like 
the  noise  of  a  host  preparing  for  battle.  I  descended  run- 
ning; the  entire  length  of  the  hill  did  not  exhaust  me. 
My  mouth  and  muscles,,my  limbs  and  lungs  stood  it  ad- 
mirably. Made  twenty  or  thirty  calls.  Had  some  talk 
both  with  Irish  Catholics  and  Scotch  Presbyterians. 

''December  5th,  1848. 
"  Called  on  a  few  families ;  promised  a  Bible  and  Testa- 
ment to  a  poor  black  woman.  Saw  a  young  wife,  who, 
with  her  husband,  said  they  were  Baptists,  and  from  Eng- 
land ;  six  months  only  in  this  country  and  as  yet  had 
joined  no  religious  community.  Spoke  with  a  family  touch- 
ing a  family  Bible,  and  with  an  acquaintance,  an  alien,  of 
giving  us  a  hearing. 


408  LIFE  OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCOTT. 

''  December  6th. 
"Called  on  the  black  woman  with  the  Bible  and  Testa- 
ment I  had  promised  yesterday.  For  the  former  I  was  to 
receive  twenty-five  cents ;  but  on  asking  the  woman  of  the 
welfare  of  her  husband,  she  told  me  he  was  sick ;  that  he 
was  a  Baptist,  and  a  preacher.  I  could  not  think  of  taking 
the  price  of  the  book  from  her,  and  so  gave  the  Bible  to 
her,  and  the  Testament  to  her  little  daughter.  May  God 
bless  them  both,  to  the  mother  and  the  child.  Called  on 
a  Cumberland  Presl)yterian,  and  conversed  with  the  mother 
of  the  family.  This  is  always  interesting.  Since  I  came 
to  have  a  family  myself,  conversation  with  mothers  is,  I 
feel,  more  interesting  to  me  than  with  daughters.  Spent 
almost  the  entire  day  hunting  up  the  flock.  Had  several 
opportunities  of  fireside  preaching.  May  God  water  what 
I  planted  !  Are  the  public  or  private  labors  of  a  pastor 
the  most  prolific  of  good  ?  Or  can  the  elder  of  a  church 
achieve  more  by  his  private  or  public  labors  ?  Public  and 
private  labor  do  form  but  the  two  parts  of  one  rule  for  evan- 
gelizing the  world.  As  it  is  said  the  apostles  labored  '  pub- 
licly and  from  house  to  house,'  but  as  things  which  God  has 
joined  together  man  oftentimes  thrust  asunder,  and  as  min- 
isters who  work  well  in  public,  divorce  from  this  the  love 
which  is  due  from  them  to  their  flock  in  private,  it  may  be 
well  to  consider  the  comparative  value  of  public  and  private 
labor  in  religion.  The  purposes  of  the  church  are  either 
subjective  or  objective,  as  the  Germans  would  say.  For 
they  either  respect  her  own  perfection  or  the  world's  con- 
version. Touching  the  church's  perfection,  a  minister  may 
publicly  say  every  thing  that  can  be  said  on  the  subject  of 
the  personal  and  family  piety  of  the  members,  and  yet 
neither  advance  the  thing  one  step  or  know  the  true  state 
of  the  case  in  regard  to  any  of  them.  Practice  and  theory, 
action  and  eloquence  are  different  things.  A  pastoral  visit 
discovers  the  sore  and  enables  the  shepherd  to  put  his 
finger  on   it  on    the  spot.      Publicly,   a  minister  can   say 


EX  TRA  C  TS  FR  OM  INS  DIA  R  } '.  4O9 

more,  but  do  less.  Privately,  his  field  is  narrowed  down 
to  the  smallest  possible  dimensions,  and,  with  the  power 
brought  thus  near  to  the  machinery,  he  acts  with  the  great- 
est possible  effect. 

"December  8,  1848. 

*'  The  wintry  appearance  of  the  country  to-day  was  very 
striking ;  the  brown  fields  and  blackened  forests,  the  dis- 
robed orchards  and  desolated  gardens  looked  sad.  A  flock 
of  pigeons  sported  in  the  blustering  wind  over  a  cornfield, 
and  seemed  delighted  wi^h  their  fortune.  ^  How  delightful 
would  it  be  if  men,  like  birds,  could  ascend  for  refreshment 
into  the  heavens  !  '  But  the  heavens,  even  the  heaven  of 
heavens,  are  the  Lord's.'  The  earth  hath  he  given  to  the 
children  of  men.      Made  a  number  of  calls.     Saw  Sister 

C ,  who  informed  me  that  her  husband  had  died  the 

last  month,  and  left  her  with  seven  children.     It  was  a  sore 

case.     Gave  her ,  for  which  she  seemed  exceedingly 

thankful. 

"Lord's  Day,  Dec.  10,  1848. 

"The  rain  cloud  covered  the  heavens,  the  weather 
gloomy  and  wet.  The  congregation  on  that  account  thin. 
Spoke  upon  our  blessed  Lord  as  the  'Faithful  and  True 
Witness.'  Rev.  3d  chap.  It  was  a  happy  theme,  and  I 
had  an  abundant  enlargement  and  spoke  the  Word  of  the 
Lord  boldly.  In  a  preliminary — brief,  and  perhaps  beau- 
tiful— spoke  of  nature  and  religion  as  witnesses  for  God. 
Touching  nature,  as  testifying  for  the  Divine  existence, 
showed  that  David  (19th  Psalm),  and  Galileo,  philosophy 
and  religion,  science  and  the  Scriptures  concurred  ;  that 
from  the  atom  to  the  archangel  nature  said  there  was  a 
God,  and  that  his  natural  attributes  were  power,  'unlimited 
power,  immensity,  wisdom,  and  benevolence.  But  while, 
as  Paul  expresses  it,  the  invisible  attributes  of  the  Godhead 
are  clearly  seen  in  the  things  that  are  seen,  the  details  of 
creation  were  entirely  mute  in  regard  to  some  of  God's 
35 


410  LIFE  OF  ELDER   IVAL.TER  SCOTT. 

moral  attributes ;  his  mercy,  justice,  and  compassion  for  man 
as  he  is.  Religion  supplies  what  is  wanted  here,  and  testifies 
of  the  mercy  and  justice  of  God  and  his  disposition  toward 
man  as  he  is — fallen,  sinful,  forlorn,  ruined. 

"  On  the  front  of  the  canvass  of  religion  stands  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  distinguished  as  the  faithful  and  true  witness 
to  the  divine  nature  in  the  points  above  stated.  He  testi- 
fies in  behalf  of  God,  against  the  world  and  against  the 
church.  He  is  a  witness  because  he  testifies — a  true  wit- 
ness, because  all  things  whatsoever  he  heard  of  the  Father 
he  has  made  known  to  us — the  truth,  the  whole  truth,  and 
nothing  but  the  truth ;  and  he  is  a  faithful  witness,  because 
he  maintained  the  truth  of  his  testimony  to  the  death,  and 
sealed  it  with  his  blood. 

"  ist.  His  testimony  in  behalf  of  the  Divine  nature  is 
chiefly  accumulated  on  two  points : 

"■  I  St.   That  God  loved  man  as  he  is. 

*'  2d.  That  he  loved  justice  more;  and,  as  proof  of  this, 
seeing  nothing  else  would  do,  he  sent  his  Son  into  this 
wTetched  world  to  redeem  it.  His  testimony  against  the 
world  also  converged  to  two  points — that  it  was, 

'' ist.   In  a  state  of  sin, 

•'  2d.  And  would  be  punished. 

*--'  So  also  of  his  testimony  against  the  church  ;  that  her 
leaders,  the  Scribes  and  Pharisees,  had 

"  ist.   Corrupted  the  law  ;  and, 

"  2d.   Rejected  the  gospel. 

"■  Improvement. 

*'In  witnessing  for  God  and  against  the  church  and  the 
world,  we  were  to  imitate  him,  and  meet  men  precisely  at 
the  point  -svhere  they  set  themselves  in  practical  opposition 
tO  God  and  religion.  To  do  this,  was  to  be  a  true  witness, 
and  to  do  it  at  the  hazard  of  our  life  and  reputation,  was  to 
be  a  faithful  witness. 


EXTRACTS  FROM  HIS  DIAR  V.  4I I 

"In  the  afternoon,  Ave  had  heaven  upon  earth;  that  is, 
we  had  the  Lord's  Siii)per. 

''Lord's  Day,  Dec.  17,  1848. 

"  In  the  afternoon,  partook  of  the  Lord's  Supper  with 
the  brotherhood.  It  is  usual  for  me  or  my  colleague  Bro. 
Church  to  call  on  one  of  the  brethren,  to  address  the 
church  at  this  solemn  moment,  but  I  do  not  approve  of  it; 
experience  is  against  the  custom,  for  I  never  can  perceive 
that  one  of  all  who  are  invited  to  speak  on  the  occasion  sym- 
pathize with  it,  or  are  equal  to  it.  They  preach  about  every 
thing  and  any  thing  that  is  uppermost  in  their  mind,  and 
that  is  never  the  Supper.  This  is  incongruous,  and  to  me 
exceedingly  annoying.  Would  they  take  Gethsemane,  or 
the  house  of  the  high  priest,  or  that  of  Caiaphas,  or  Pilate's 
bar,  or  the  Pretorium,  or  the  balcony  '  Ecce  Homo,'  or  the 
nailing  him  to  the  cross  and  his  elevation  on  that  accursed 
tree,  or  his  groans,  and  cries,  or  death,  or  burial,  or  resur- 
rection, or  the  nature  of  the  Supper  as  a  memorial  of  his 
death,  or  its  peculiar  attribute,  or  its  character  as  the  symbol 
of  union  among  the  brethren,  or  any  other  of  its  meanings, 
either  figurative  or  literal,  they  would  at  least  proceed  dec- 
orously and  in  unison  with  the  occasion  ;  but  this  is  seldom 
or  never  done. 

"  The  last  and  latest  hours  of  this  blessed  evening  were 
spent  with  my  wife  in  reading,  and  in  weeping  over  the 
l)iety,  genius,  and  sufferings  of  the  second  Mrs.  Judson,  of 
Tavoy,  India,  as  portrayed  by  her  who  has  succeeded  to 
the  arms  and  affections  of  her  eminent  husband,  Adoniram 
Judson,  of  Maulmain. 

"December  19,  1848. 
"In  my  descent  from  the  mountain   this  morning,  was 
saluted  by  Mother  'J'hompson,  who  informed  me  both  of 
Mrs.  S 's  residence  and  her   own.      Slie  is   a   widow. 


412  LIFE  OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCOTT. 

I  have  already  obtained  the  names  of  twenty-four  widows, 
all  members  of  the  congregation.  What  a  field  for  the 
Christian  philanthropist  is  this  ! 

*' December  25,  1848. 
"How  sweet  to  give  the  first-fruits  of  our  waking  mo- 
ments to  God  !  How  blessed  to  receive  a  Christmas  gift 
from  him  !  The  blessing  of  the  Lord  maketh  rich  and 
addeth  n-o  sorrow.  Attended  my  theological  class  ;  greatly 
surprised  by  the  students,  who  acquitted  themselves  beyond 
all  expectation.  In  the  four  gospels,  we  see  our  religion 
founded ;  in  the  Acts,  we  see  it  organized  ;  in  the  epistles, 
we  see  the  church's  pastoral  superintendence ;  and  in  the 
Revelations,  we  see  her  apostatized. 

''  December  26th. 
"Spent  the  evening  with  a  Christian  brother.  A  visit 
for  religious  purposes,  if  discreetly  made,  is  as  delightful 
as  it  is  profitable  to  the  parties.  But  the  visit  should,  if 
possible,  be  strictly  religious,  and  the  sacred  always  be 
made  to  predominate  over  the  secular. 

"Lord's  Day,  Dec.  31,  1848. 
"  This  was  a  day  rich  in  all  grand  things.     In  the  morn- 
ing, Bro.  B ,  Agent  of  the  Society  for  Converting  the 

Jews,  preached  on  this  subject,  and  took  the  ground  that 
the  gospel  was  to  be  preached  to  the  Jews  first.,  and  that 
the  mass  of  the  heathen  world  would  not  be  restored  to 
God  by  the  preaching  of  the  gospel  until  Israel  should  be 
saved.  Bro.  Church  followed*  in  a  few  remarks,  very  much 
to  the  purpose,  in  which  he  justified  the  ground  which  had 
been  assumed  in  the  sermon.  I  closed  by  a  few  words  on 
the  joy  of  Israel  when  these  things  should  have  been  ac- 
complished. The  afternoon  was  heavenly  and  divine.  Oh  ! 
the  blessedness  of  the  heavenly  ordinance  of  the  Lord's 
Supper.     What  a  feast — it  is  fat  things,  truly — wine  upon 


MARRIAGE  OF  TWO  OF  UfS  CHILD  REX.         4  I  3 

the  lees  well  refined.  Bro.  Church  preached  in  the  even- 
ing. The  discourse  was  upon  Romans  8th  chap.  Very 
fine — pious,  practical,  enlightened." 

The  preceding  extracts  are  all  from  the  same  month, 
and  yet  what  a  rich  variety  of  thought,  feeling,  and 
action  do  they  present!  His  love  of  nature,  which 
ever  led  him  up  to  nature's  God  ;  his  deep  devotion, 
his  earnest  practical  religion,  seen  in  visiting  the 
fatherless  and  widows  in  their  affliction  ;  his  careful 
study  of  God's  Word  ;  devotion  to  the  class  of  young 
men  to  whom  he  was  unfolding  the  Scriptures  ;  and 
the  abundance  of  his  public  and  private  labors  ;  all  of 
which  show  that  he  permitted  no  day  to  pass  without 
its  good  deed.  Had  this  diary  been  continued,  what 
a  rich  legacy  of  Christian  example,  instruction,  and 
effort  it  would  have  been !  But  a  record  of  it  has 
been  kept  that  will  be  imperishable. 

In  the  midst  of  these  his  abundant  labors,  how- 
ever, he  was  very  happy  ;  and  the  few  years  spent  at 
this  period  in  Pittsburg  were,  doubtless,  the  happiest 
of  his  life.  He  enjoyed  greatly  the  society  of  his  son  in 
the  faith,  Elder  Samuel  Church,  under  whose  labors  a 
large  and  influential  congregation  had  been  gathered. 
Their  intimacy  had  been '  life-long,  and  grew  with 
each  succeeding  year,  and  the  attachment  they  had 
for  each  other  was  cemented  during  these  years  by 
the  union  of  their  families — Mr.  Scott's  eldest  son 
John  marrying  Mary,  Elder  Church's  eldest  daughter, 
and  Mr.  Church's  eldest  son  William  being  united  to 
Emily,  Mr.  Scott's  eldest  and  only  surviving  daughter. 
Happy  in  seeing  his  children  settled  in  life,  happy  in 
useful  and  successful  labor,  happy  in  seeing  the  cause 


414  LIFE   OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCOTT. 

to  which  he  had  given  the  energies  of  his  life  pros- 
pering beyond  all  that  he  had  hoped,  he  had  reason 
for  gratitude  and  devout  thanksgiving.  For  a  great 
portion  of  his  life  he  could  truthfully  sing  : 

"  No  foot  of  land  do  I  possess, 
Nor  cottage  in  this  wilderness, — 
A  poor  wayfaring  man." 

He  went  on  his  way  toiling,  sorrowing,  yet  rejoicing, 
and  could  truly,  amid  all  the  changes  of  his  lot,  say : 

"  Yonder  's  my  house  and  portion  fair, 
My  treasure  and  my  heart  are  there, 
And  my  abiding  home." 

He  found  by  experience  and  observation  that  the 
fewer  earthly  cares  and  anxieties  a  preacher  of  the 
gospel  had,  the  better  it  was  for  him  and  for  the  cause 
in  which  he  was  engaged.  He  saw  that  riches  often 
drew  the  heart  away  from  God,  and  therefore  he 
neither  strove  after  wealth  nor  repined  at  his  lot. 
One  very  happy  result  of  his  narrow  circumstances 
was,  that  his  children,  at  an  early  period,  became  self- 
reliant  and  self-supporting,  and  the  fact  that  all  of 
them  have  been,  in  a  greater  or  less  degree,  success- 
ful in  life  may  be  attributed  to  the  stern  yet  useful 
discipline  of  their  early  yekrs.  As  already  intimated, 
this  period  of  his  life  was  doubtless  the  happiest  he 
ever  enjoyed.  Relieved,  in  a  great  measure,  of  a 
parent's  anxiety  by  seeing  his  children  settled  and 
their  prospects  cheering,  he  doubtless  expected  that 
he  and  she  who  for  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  century 
had  been  his  faithful  companion  would  quietly  de- 
scend together  the  western  slope  of  life,  and,  as  they 
had  cheered  each  other. in  the  steep  ascent,  so  they 


TIJE  DEATH  OF  HIS  WIFE.  415 

would  comfort  each  other  as  they  went  down  the  de 
chvity,  and,  in  the  words  of  the  old  song,  not  sep-^- 
rated  by  a  long  interval,  they  would  "sleep  together 
at  the  foot."  But  this  was  not  to  be  ;  the  great  sor- 
row of  his  life  was  at  hand,  his  beloved  wife  was  taken 
away,  and  his  heart  and  home  were  left  desolate.  This 
sad  event  took  place  on  the  28th  of  April,  1849,  and 
was  made  the  subject  of  the  following  tender  and  dig- 
nified notice  by  her  sorely  stricken  husband,  in  the 
next  issue  of  his  paper : 

''The  death  of  this  excellent  woman  was  sudden  and 
unexpected,  but  never,  perhaps,  did  mortal  breathe  out 
her  spirit  in  holier  tranquillity.  After  death,  her  features 
were  composed  into  a  heavenly  sweetness,  so  that  it 
seemed  as  if  he  who  separated  her  soul  from  all  that 
was  mortal  left  behind  him  evident  traces  of  his  divine 
presence  on  the  solemn  occasion.  Her  history  may  soon 
be  told.  She  belonged  to  families  who  were  among  the 
first  settlers  of  Westmoreland  County,  Penn.,  where  many 
of  her  relations  still  live.  She  gave  her  hand  in  mar- 
riage in  1823,  and  in  1827  accompanied  her  husband  to 
the  Western  Reserve,  Ohio,  where  she  witnessed,  during 
the  years  1827,  '28,  '29,  '30,  thousands  gathered  unto 
the  fold  of  God,  and  where  she  participated  in  the  joys 
and  sorrows  of  that  deeply  interesting  period.  During 
her  long  stay  in  Carthage,  Hamilton  County,  Ohio,  she 
made  many  acquaintances  among  the  people  of  God,  of 
whom  hundreds,  yea,  thousands,  partook  of  the  hospi- 
tality of  her  roof  and  board.  The  difficulties  to  which 
the  infantile  state  of  the  connection  subjected  our  labor- 
ers during  the  last  twenty-two  years,  were  known  to  her 
perhaps  more  than  any  other  woman,  but  she  still  hoped 
on,  and  greatly  animated  her  husband  to  persevere  when 
these  difficulties  had  well-nigh  overcome  his  faith.     She 


4l6  LIFE   OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCOTT. 

has  raised  for  the  Most  High  'a  godly  seed,'  and  her 
husband,  the  best  earthly  witness — who  feels  that  in  her 
death  the  center  of  feeling  and  affection,  and  of  moral 
and  religions  influence,  is  smitten  down  in  the  family — 
testifies  that  she  was  the  best  of  wives,  the  tenderest  of 
mothers,  and  the  most  faithful  of  friends — a  Christian  in 
faith,  and  works,  and  charity." 


£SSA  V  ON  CHRISTIAN  UNION.  4  1  / 


CHAPTER    XXVII. 

Admirable  Essay  on  Christian  Union — Encomiums  bestowed    upon  it — 
Visits  Bethany — Death  of  Samuel  Church — Letters. 

WHEN  the  sad  bereavement  just  noticed  took 
place,  Mr.  Scott  was  something  over  fifty  years 
of  age,  and  in  this,  the  autumn  time  of  his  life,  the 
fruitfulness  of  which  its  spring  time  and  summer  time 
gave  such  rich  promise  was  not  wanting.  His  powers 
at  this  time  were  in  their  full  maturity,  and  his  sor- 
row gave  S  mellowness  and  tenderness  to  his  thoughts 
which  they  had  not  possessed  before.  The  thought 
that  the  shado'ws  of  evening  were  drawing  near  doubt- 
less led  him  to  think  of  the  night  not  far  distant,  and 
of  the  necessity  for  working  while  it  was  "  called  to- 
day," and  the  result  was  a  girding  himself  for  the  best 
labors  of  an  active  and  useful  life.  His  plea  for  a 
return  to  the  example  of  the  apostles  in  presenting 
the  message  of  life  and  salvation  to  dying  men,  had 
been  eminently  successful ;  thousands  of  converts 
were  made  every  year,  giving  ample  demonstration 
that  "the  gospel  was  indeed  the  power  of  God  unto 
salvation  to  every  one  that  believeth,"  and  that  "  the 
law  of  the  Lord  is  perfect,  converting  the  soul  ;"  and 
the  faith  grew  strong  in  his  heart  that  the  truth  of 
God,  which  had  wrought  so  mightily  in  the  conver- 
sion of  sinners,  would  be  the  instrumentality  through 


41 8  LIFE  OF  ELDER  WALTER  SCOTT. 

which  would  be  accomplished  that  union  of  his  people 
for  which  the  Savior  when  on  earth  had  prayed. 

In  order  to  promote  a  work  so  desirable,  it  became 
needful  to  show  the  origin  of  the  evil  of  division  as 
the  first  step  toward  a  remedy.     This  he  set  forth  by 
saying  "  that  people  handle  the  Christian  religion  as 
unscrupulously  as  if  it  were  left  to  them  by  God  to 
perfect  its  structure.    The  ancients  tell  the  story  of  a 
painter  who  wished  to  please  every  body,  and,  having 
put  his  picture  in  a  public  part  of  the  city,  with  a 
brush   at   hand,  he  left   directions   for   every  one  to 
make  such  alterations  in  the  painting  as  pleased  him- 
self    When  the  artist  returned,  he  found  the  picture 
in  such  a  state  by  touching  and  retouching,  that  he 
did  not  know  it !     Men  think  that  the  chief  work  of 
God,  the  great  portrait  of  Christianity,  is  left  in  our 
streets  to  be  improved  and  to   be  made  what   they 
would  have  it  to  be."     The  diversity  of  the  different 
religious  parties,  and  the  contradictions  of  the  various 
creeds,  fully  justified  the  striking  figure  which  he  em- 
ployed ;  the  existence  of  various  creeds  and  parties 
was  a  practical  denial  of  the  right  of  the  One  Law- 
giver to  legislate  for  his  own  church,  or,  what  was 
equally  injurious,   to  assume   that  he   had    failed    to 
make  the  needed  laws  and  left  that  work  to  his  erring 
creatures.     Mr.  Scott  clearly  perceived  that  human 
legislation,  in  matters   pertaining   to  the   church  of 
Christ  was  a  fatal  mistake  ;  that  for  union  and  har- 
mony to  be  secured  and 'preserved,  the  King  himself 
must  make  the  laws  and  the  church  administer  them 
and  be  governed  by  them.     To  found  the  church  and 
give  no  law  for  its  guidance,  to  him  seemed  as  great 
a  defect  as  it   would  have  been  for  the  Creator  to 


ESS  A  V  ON  CIIRISTIAX  UXIOX.  4T9 

have  left  our  world  without  a  sun.  To  correct,  as  far 
as  lay  in  his  power,  the  evils  of  division,  and  present 
a  firm  basis  for  the  union  of  all  the  people  of  God, 
became  now  an  all-engrossing  thought,  and  resulted 
in  a  tract  of  over  one  hundred  pages,  in  which  the 
subject  was  handled  with  a  force  and  felicity  which 
have  seldom  been  equalled. 

He  sets  out  with  the  proposition  that  "  Christianity 
stands  on  a  basis  of  reality,  an  organic  truth,  a  creed, 
a  something  to  believed  in  order  to  salvation,"  and 
supports  it  by  saying:  "On  a  contrary  supposition, 
our  religion  would  be  without  a  constitutional  truth, 
not  deserving  to  be  ranked  among  systems.  With- 
out an  essential  element,  it  would  be  like  a  watch 
without  a  spring,  or  a  clock  without  the  weights,  or 
like  the  law  of  Moses  divested  of  the  central  or  per- 
vading thought  of  the  divine  unity  ;  it  would  be  an 
assemblage  of  inoperative  elements.  Every  system 
of  true  religion,  as  much  as  every  system  of  physics 
and  morals,  must  stand  on  some  basis  of  reality. 
Christianity  is  a  system  of  true  religion,  therefore 
Christianity  must  stand  upon  some  basis  of  reality. 
It  must  have  a  creed,  a  master  truth,  an  article  of  faith, 
to  be  offered  to  men  for  their  salvation,"  and  then  adds  : 
"This  truth  of  the  Christian  system  is  enunciated  in 
the  form  of  a  proposition — namely,  that  Jesus  Christ 
is  the  Messiah,  the  Son  of  the  living  God."  He 
shows  that  by  an  hearty  acceptance  of  this  truth 
men  are  united  to  Christ,  and  that  if  carried  out  in 
the  life,  it  will  not  only  bind  them  to  their  common 
Lord,  but  also  to  each  other  ;  that  they  will  confess 
with  their  mouth  the  same  Lord,  follow  his  exanij^le 
of  obedience,  trust  in  his  death,  wear  his  name,  be 


420  LIFE  OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCOTT. 

guided   by  his  word,   cheered  by   his  promises,  and 
hope  to  be  made  partakers  of  his  joy. 

With  regard  to  this  great  truth,  the  Divinity  of 
Christ,  which  is  the  alpha  and  omega  of  his  argu- 
ment, he  says  :  "If,  without  contemning  the  other 
crown  jewels  of  the  kingdom,  I  have  placed  my  hand 
upon  the  diadem  ;  if  I  have  fully  comprehended  the 
force  of  its  revolutionary  and  deeply  reformatory 
powers  ;  if  I  have  held  it  on  high  till  all  its  practical 
bearings  have  been  determined,  and  it  has  become 
the  creed  and  crown  of  glory  of  a  great  and  pious 
people,  I  have  done  but  my  duty.  O  Lord,  the  maj- 
esty divine  be  thine,  forever  thine  !"  But  it  were  a 
vain  attempt  to  give  a  proper  idea  of  the  work  by 
short  extracts  ;  one  might  as  well  strive  to  portray 
the  ocean  in  its  various  moods  upon  a  few  inches  of 
canvas.  Some  conception  of  its  merits,  however, 
may  be  gathered  from  the  impression  it  made  on 
some  well  qualified  to  judge,  both  with  regard  to  its 
religious  worth  and  literary  excellence.  An  able 
writer  among  the  Baptists  said  of  it  that  it  was  from 
"  the  practiced  pen  of  Walter  Scott,  to  whom  the 
voice  of  righteous  celebrity  has  long  since  assigned 
a  high  place  in  the  first  rank  of  gospel  ministers," 
and  adds  :  "  considered  merely  as  a  composition,  it 
deserves  to  be  classed  among  the  best  specimens  of 
English  prose  from  living  writers  ;  its  style  is  vigor- 
ous, chaste,  and  nervous,  occasionally  rising  into  elo- 
quence of  the  most  polished  and  delicate  type."  Dr. 
Richardson,  himself  a  polished  and  graceful  writer, 
says  :  *'  I  regard  the  performance  as  the  most  extraor- 
dinary work  of  the  age  in  the  religious  department, 
not  only  for  the  logical  force  with  which  it  evolves 


SECOXD   MARK /AGE.  421 

the  great  master  truth,  the  Divinity  of  Christ,  but  for 
the  clearness  and  energetic  beauty  of  its  style  and 
the  wonderful  power  of  analysis  which  it  displays." 
And  A.  Campbell,  one  .of  the  foremost  scholars  and 
thinkers  of  this  century,  said  :  "  It  is  one  of  the  best 
tracts  of  the  age,  and  the  best  on  the  Divinity  of 
Christ  that  has  in  forty  years'  reading  come  under 
my  eye."  Higher  praise  could  not  have  been  given 
to  it,  nothing  has  since  been  written  to  equal  it,  and 
to  surpass  it  would  scarcely  be  possible. 

This  was  followed  in  a  short  time  by  another  brief 
treatise  on  the  "  Death  of  Christ"  scarcely  inferior  to 
the  former  one ;  full  of  tenderness  and  sweetness 
which  such  a  theme  could  not  fail  to  draw  forth  from 
a  mind  and  heart  like  his. 

In  the  meantime,  he  married  Miss  Annie  B.  Allen, 
of  Mayslick,  Ky.,  in  1850,  and  for  some  time  was  at 
the  head  of  a  flourishing  female  academy  in  Coving- 
ton, Ky.  Here  his  wife,  whom  he  characterizes-  as 
"a  most  blessed  woman,  but  inclined  to  consumption," 
died  in  1854  of  that  insidious  disease,  leaving  one 
daughter,  Carrie  Allen  Scott.  The  union,  though 
^hort,  was  a  happy  one,  as  his  young  wife  was  ex- 
tremely amiable,  truly  pious,  and  deeply  devoted  to 
her  husband.  Her  death  caused  him  to  give  up  the 
academy  and  to  devote  himself  to  evangelical  labors, 
which  were  quite  successful,  and  to  the  composition 
of  the  most  elaborate  work  that  ever  employed 
his  pen. 

In  the  last  week  of  1855,  he  paid  a  visit  to  Beth- 
any, and  his  spirit  was  greatly  refreshed.  He  says  he 
was  received  with  the  greatest  cordiality  and  hospi- 
tality, and  that  it  would  have  been  impossible  for  any 


422  LIFE  OF  ELDER  WALTER  SCOTT. 

one  to  have  showed  him  greater  kindness  than  was 
manifested  by  Mr.  Campbell  and  family.  He  re- 
mained there  several  days,  and  delivered  several  ad- 
dresses to  the  students  at  the  college.  Mr.  Campbell 
and  himself  had  been  engaged  in  an  earnest  effort  to 
restore  primitive  Christianity  since  their  early  man- 
hood, i)ut  now  Mr.  Scott  was  about  three-score,  and 
his  fellow-laborer  verging  upon  three-score  and  ten  ; 
too-ether  thev  had  borne  the  heat  and  burden  of  the 
day  ;  they  both  felt  that  the  evening  w^as  at  hand 
and  their  work  nearly  done  ;  but  when  they  looked 
at  the  mighty  results  which  had  grown  out  of  their 
united  and  untiring  labors,  they  could  not  but  be 
o-rateful  to  him  who  had  made  their  lives  and  labors 

o 

such  a  blessing  to  their  race. 

Previous  to  this  time,  Mr.  Scott  married  his  third 
wife,  Mrs.  Eliza  Sandige,  of  Mason  County,  Ky., 
where  he  resided  until  his  death.  His  faculties  at 
this  period  of  his  life  seemed  to  have  suffered  no 
decay ;  his  form  still  erect,  his  hair  but  slightly 
changed,  and  the  luster  of  his  keen,  dark  eyes  un- 
dimmed  ;  and,  though  he  felt  none  of  the  infirmities 
of  age,  he  could  not  resist  the  conviction  that  when- 
the  lengthening  shadows  had  grown  a  little  longer  he 
would  be  called  to  depart.  This  feeling  was  deepened 
by  the  death  of  many  of  his  old  and  cherished  friends, 
but  more  than  all  by  the  unexpected  death  of  his  life- 
long friend  and  dearly  esteemed  brother  in  Christ,  Eld. 
Samuel  Church,  which  took  place  in  the  city  of  New 
York  on  the  7th  of  December,  1857.  Conv^erted  by 
Scott  more  than  thirty  years  before,  and  their  early 
friendship  cemented  in  after  years  by  the  marriage  of 
their  children,  the   loss  was  one  that  was  deeply  and 


DEATH  OF  SAMUEL  CHURCH.  423 

keenly  felt — bow  deeply,  we  can  best  learn  from  tbe 
following  letter  of  condolence  to  bis  son-in-law  and 
daughter  soon  after  the  sorrowfid  event : 

"  Mayslick,  Dec.  16,  1857. 
"  William  and  Emily  : 

**  J/v  Vci-y  Dear  Children:  The  Lord  bless  you,  the 
Lord  comfort  you  and  support  you  under  the  news  of  your 
great  loss,  of  which  you  will  no  doubt  have  been  informed 
before  this  letter  reaches  you.  A  communication  from 
Bro.  Challen,  dated  the  loth  of  Dec,  informed  me  of  the 
sad  fact  of  the  death  of  your  father  in  New  York.  He  was 
on  a  visit  there,  and  was  in  good  health  and  fine  spirits, 
but  was  taken  suddenly  with  inflammation  of  the  stomach 
and  bowels.  He  had  an  appointment  to  preach  to  the 
Disciples,  but  he  was  unable  to  fill  it.  Dr.  Parmley  was 
informed  of  his  indisposition,  and  called  upon  him  at  the 
Astor  House  and  offered  his  services,  which,  however,  were 
not  needed,  there  being  a  [)hysician  in  attendance.  Next 
day  (Monday)  Dr.  Parmley  called  again,  and  found  your 
dear  father  rapidly  sinking.  He  asked  the  doctor  to  pray 
with  him,  and  to  read  the  14th  and  17th  chapters  of  John. 
He  was  greatly  refreshed  by  these  exercises,  but  too  weak 
to  talk  much.  He  directed  Dr.  Parmley  to  place  the  Bible 
undef  his  pillow;  then,  looking  upward  to  heaven  with  a 
steady  gaze  and  a  countenance  radiant  with  light  and 
glory,  he  fell  asleep  in  Christ. 

"  My  children,  my  dear  children,  this  news  has  reached 
my  inmost  soul.  How  unexpected  to  all  of  us  !  To  your 
mother  and  you  how  severe  !  But  we  have  a  God  into 
whose  gracious  ear  we  can  pour,  with  the  assurance  of  being 
heard,  all  our  deep  sorrows,  all  our  crushing  afflictions ; 
and  we  know  that,  although  the  outward  and  commercial 
life  of  your  father  was  agitated  with  great  vicissitudes,  yet 
his  inward  and  spiritual  life  was  very  different ;  that  it  was 
calm,  unvarying,  meditative,  devoted  to    God,  beautiful 


424  LIFE  OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCOTT. 

and  holy.  Though  his  death  is  but  one  of  the  millions  of 
deaths  by  which  a  merciful  God  is  unceasingly  speaking  to 
mankind,  and  reminding  all  of  their  mortality;  yet  this 
death  speaks  to  me,  and  will,  I  doubt  not,  to  you,  in  a  pe- 
culiar tone.  Oh,  it  seems  to  bring  my  last  end  near  to 
me  indeed  !  for  he  was  as  my  own  flesh  and  blood,  as  in- 
deed the  whole  family  are — but  he  particularly  !  He  was 
among  my  first  acquaintances  in  Pittsburg.  I  immersed 
him  with  my  own  hands  upward  of  thirty  years  ago,  and 
he  was  ever  dear,  ever  lovely  to  me.  During  these,  latter 
years,  my  children,  death  has  been  more  familiar  to  my 
meditations  than  formerly,  for,  as  we  have  in  us  no  natural 
instinct  of  death,  and  all  our  impulses  are  vital  and  immor- 
tal, I  have  during  much  of  my  life-time  imagined  I  should 
live  forever,  and  have  weakly  thought  '  all  men  are  mortal 
but  myself.'  I  am  convinced  it  is  not  so.  I  also  must  die, 
and  the  death  of  Father  Church  has  doubled  the  rational 
conviction.  May  the  Lord  enable  us  so  to  live  and  spend 
this  brief  life  as  to  be  at  last  deemed  worthy  to  meet  our 
great  and  good  brother  and  father  in  the  better  land 
whither  he  has  gone  ! 

**  My  dear  children,  be  consoled  ;  commit  your  sorrows 
to  the  bosom  of  your  Father  in  heaven.  His  ways  are 
above  our  ways,  and  his  thoughts  above  our  thoughts ;  but 
he  is  slow  to  anger  and  full  of  compassion,  and  so  would 
manage  us  that  our  souls  might  not  be  lost.  1  sympa- 
thize with  you  in  all  your  trials,  afflictions,  and  privations. 
I  ever  bear  you  on  my  hands  and  bosom  before  a  merciful 
God,  who  will  not  ultimately  let  pass  unanswered  the  cries 
and  tears  of  an  afflicted  and  heart-broken  parent.  I  live 
in  hope  to  see  you  in  spring  or  early  summer. 

"Accept  a  father's  blessing,  dearest  children.  May 
Almighty  God  have  you  all,  at  all  times,  in  his  holy  keep- 
ing ;  and  to  his  name  be  all  praise. 

**  Devotedly  and  affectionately,  your  father, 

' '  Walter  Scott.  ' ' 


THE  GREAT  DEMONSTRATION.  425 

Soon  after  this,  he  completed  his  work,  "The  Mes- 
siahship,  or  the  Great  Demonstration,"  his  most  elab- 
orate effort,  and  a  most  fitting  close  to  his  literary 
labors.  Other  books  have  been  written  of  which 
Christ  was  professedly  the  theme,  but  in  this  he  was 
really  so  ;  every  ray  of  light  from  type  and  symbol, 
prophecy  and  history,  from  seer  and  evangelist,  is 
made  to  converge  on  the  Son  of  God  as  the  central 
figure ;  his  nature,  offices,  and  work  are  brought 
fully  to  view,  until  the  reader,  in  rapt  adoration,  is 
ready  to  join  with  martyrs,  apostles,  and  the  heav- 
enly host  in  their  ascriptions  of  praise,  and  cry, 
"  Crown  him  Lord  of  all."  Elder  A.  Campbell 
characterized  it  as  a  very  interesting,  edifying,  cheer- 
ing, and  fascinating  volume.  Elder  Errett  said  : 
"Immense  labor  has  been  bestowed  upon  it  by  one 
of  the  best  minds  that  God  has  given  us.  It  sparkles 
and  shines  all  over  with  the  peculiar  genius  of  the 
author."  And  Prof  Richardson  adds:  "I  have  read 
'enough  of  it  to  see  that  it  abounds  in  most  valuable 
and  profound  thought,  striking  analyses,  and  rich 
development  of  truth.  I  am  better  pleased  with  it 
the  more  I  examine  it.  It  embraces  charming  pas- 
sages, revealing  deep  lessons  of  human  experience 
and  divine  truth.  I  thank  God  that  you  have  been 
enabled  to  present  such  a  work  to  the  world.  In 
view  of  its  sublime  and  far-reaching  revelations,  its 
cogent  logic,  and  still  more  striking  analytical  divis- 
ions, and  just  distinctions,  the  rest  of  the  literature 
of  the  Reformation  seems  to  me  to  grow  very  pale 
and  dim." 

His  letters  at  this  period  show  how  much  his 
mind  was  occupied  with    the  things  of  that    world 

36 


426  LIFE  OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCOTT. 

which  he  was  rapidly  nearing  ;  one  of  them,  to  his 
eldest  son,  is  as  follows  : 

''My  Dear  Son: 

''The  Lord  bless  you  and  your  family;  the  Lord 
make  you  all  a  blessing.  Your  last  came  to  hand  last 
evening.  What  could 'more  rejoice  a  parent  than  the 
practical  proof  which  it  gives  of  my  children's  love  for 
each  other?  In  the  133d  Psalm,  David  compares  broth- 
erly affection  to  the  inimitable  ointment  poured  on  the  head 
of  Aaron  at  his  inauguration  into  the  priestly  office,  and  to 
the  dews  of  Zion  and  Hermon.  It  is  where  this  abounds 
that  God  commands  the  blessing  of  eternal  life  !  Let  it, 
then,  abound  among  my  loved  ones,  my  children  and  my 
children's  children,  to  a  thousand  generations.  I  trust  I 
may  never  want  a  man  to  stand  before  God  and  praise  him 
or  Christ  while  the  world  endures.  My  dearest  son,  it  is 
becoming  strikingly  evident  that  the  present  life  is  valu- 
able only  as  seen  related  to  the  life  to  come.  It  is,  in- 
deed, burdened  with  mortal  endurance,  but  suffering,  like 
all  things  else,  has  a  grand  moral — perfection  ;  and  per- 
fection has  its  reward — glory.  God  has  opened  my  eyes 
to  see  him  in  every  thing  ;  as  the  poet  says :  '  The  roll- 
ing year  is  full  of  thee.'  In  what  thing  is  not  God  to  be 
seen?  As  a  child  said,  'Where  is  he  not?'  Oh,  it  is  a 
blessed  gift  from  God — the  gift  of  seeing  him  in  every 
thing.  The  blessing  of  being  associated  forever  with  a 
single  saint,  say  brother  Church,  is  worth  a  life-time  en- 
durance of  all  the  ills  of  life ;  but  what  is  the  fellowship 
of  one  to  all — your  mother,  your  dear  blessed  mother,  and 
myriads  like  her,  full  of  the  love  of  God  and  glory  all 
around;  but  what  are  all  saints  and  all  angels  to  our  God, 
our  sweet,  our  dear,  our  ever  precious  Redeemer,  the  Son 
of  the  great  Eternal?  Oh,  my  son,  what  love  I  have  for 
them  who  love  you  !  Wliat  love,  then,  must  the  great 
God  have  for  them  that  love  his  Son  !     He  will  lavish  on 


LETTER   TO  EATIIER  MORRIS.  427 

them  all  the  riches  of  eternal  life.  Let  us,  then,  from  gen- 
eration to  generation  love  our  Lord  Jesus  with  all  our 
heart,  with  all  our  soul,  with  all  our  mind,  and  with  all 
our  strength.  Let  our  family  be  great  in  piety,  open, 
declared  piety,  seen  and  read  of  all  men.  Let  us  succes- 
sively give  examples  to  those  whom  God  raises  up  by  us, 
and  grow  greater  and  greater  in  piety  toward  God,  till  we 
shall  stand  and  our  descendants  shall  occupy  the  chief 
position  in  the  front  rank  of  those  who  have  been  heroes 
for  God  and  the  cause  of  our  Lord  Jesus  in  the  earth. 
Eternal  life  is  worth  living  for  and  worth  dying  for;  let 
us  labor,  then,  to  enter  into  eternal  life. 

"Affectionately,  your  father, 

"W.  Scott." 

A  collection  of  his  letters  would  be  interesting, 
and  would  open  his  heart  to  the  reader,  but  space 
forbids  more  than  the  following  to  an  old  and  useful 
servant  of  God,  who  had  removed  from  Mason  Co., 
Ky.,  to  Missouri,  which  shows  the  current  of  his 
thoughts  : 

"Mayslick,  April  2,  i860. 
"  Father  Morris  : 

"  Vejy  Dear  Sir :  The  Lord  bless  you  and  make  you 
a  blessing  !  The  Lord  have  you  and  all  yours  in  his 
holy  keeping  ! 

"About  one  hour  ago,  it  was  intimated  to  me  by  Wm. 
Burgess,  who  is  just  arrived  here  from  his  visit  to  Missouri, 
that  you  desired  to  have  from  under  my  hand  a  letter  on 
that  blessed  and  great  redemption  which  has  so  long  been 
the  life  of  both  our  hearts.  If  it  is  admitted  that  you  are 
one  of  my  most  ancient  acquaintances  in  Kentucky ;  that  I 
have  ever  entertained  the  most  solemn  respect  for  your 
godliness,  and  that  excellent  and  active  intellect  which  the 


428  LIFE  OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCOTT, 

Most  High  has  bestowed  upon  you ;  that  I  know  the  depth 
of  your  affection  for  the  brethren  by  the  vast  hospitality 
which  you  exercised  toward  them ;  and  that  you  held  for 
years  the  government  of  the  church  of  God  in  this  place, 
with  comfort  to  the  Disciples  and  honor  to  yourself,  you 
will'readily  divine  why  it  is  that  I  hasten  to  meet  your 
wishes. 

"  ist.  To  a  meditative  person  like  yourself,  it  must  ever 
appear  surprising,  and  indeed  mysterious,  that  ?nan  should 
be  both  condemned  and  justified,  lost  and  saved,  made 
mortal  and  immortal,  by  the  interposition  of  two  powers 
exterior  to  his  own  system — two  incarnations,  Satan  and 
the  Messiah.  It  is  evident  that  the  sin  of  overthrowing 
the  paradisaical  order  did  not  originate  with  the  mother 
of  mankind,  but  with  an  evil  spirit  not  belonging  to  our 
sphere;  and  it  is  equally  evident  that  for  our  great  re- 
demption we  are  indebted  to  an  illustrious  personage, 
styled  'the  Lord  from  heaven,'  so  that  sin  and  righteous- 
ness, justification  and  condemnation,  have  their  origin  in 
the  spiritual  spheres,  heaven  and  hell.  The  center  of  the 
Adamic  system  having  ceased  to  have  life  in  himself,  it  is 
now  granted  us  to  renew  our  life  and  unity  on  an  eternal 
and  new  basis,  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  who  has  life  in  him- 
self, even  as  the  Father  has  life  in  himself. 

*•'  2d.  Since  the  beginning  of  the  world  there  have  been 
five  distinct  apostasies  from  the  living  and  true  God. 
When  men  usurp  our  rights,  we  protest ;  God's  rights  have 
been  invaded  by  these  apostasies ;  he  formally  protested 
against  this  invasion.     The  apostasies  are  as  follows : 

"  I.  The  Paradisaical — God  himself  protesting. 

**.2.  The  Antediluvian — Noah  protesting. 

*'3.  The  Assyrian,  Persian,  Greek,  and  Roman  apos- 
tasy— Moses  and  Israel  protesting. 

**  4.  The  Jewish — Christ  and  the  apostles  protesting. 

*'5.  The  Christian  apostasy — Luther  protesting. 


LETTER   TO  FATHER  MORRIS.  429 

"  In  the  first  or  paradisaical  apostasy,  man  would  not  be 
governed  by  God.  And  being  made  for  government,  the 
antediluvian  apostasy  shows  that  he  can  not  exist  in  peace 
without  it.  The  imperial  or  third  apostasy  shows  that  he 
can  not  be  governed  by  emperors  and  maintain  his  social 
rights  ;  the  Jews  show  that  he  will  not  be  ruled  by  a  deputy 
king,  as  Saul,  David,  or  Solomon  and  others ;  the  fifth  and 
last,  the  Christian  apostasy,  proves  he  will  not  be  gov- 
erned by  a  deputy  priest,  as  the  pope,  etc.  He  is,  there- 
fore, to  be  brought  back  to  God  by  his  Son  and  his  saints. 
He  would  not  be  governed  by  God,  and  he  can  not  gov- 
ern himself;  he  is,  therefore,  to  be  ruled  by  one  who  is 
both  himself  and  God — Christ — *God  manifest  in  the  flesh.' 

'*  The  universe  is  ruled  by  a  compromise.  Such  are 
the  great  problems  wrought  out  in  history.  The  Chris- 
tian faith  will,  therefore,  work  out  in  practice  its  own  truth, 
and  all  impostures  and  apostasies  will  work  out  in  history 
their  own  refutation. 

'^  3d.  The  great  design  of  God  by  the  gospel  is  to  bring 
many  sons  to  glory ;  but  for  this  grand  and  glorious  design 
Christ  never  would  have  appeared,  nor  God  been  mani- 
fested in  the  flesh.  The  different  powers  of  our  nature  are 
our  animal  propensities,  our  intellectual  faculties,  and  our 
moral  sentiments.  The  involuntary  and  by  far  the  most 
dangerous  of  these  are  our  animal  propensities.  In  our 
war,  then,  with  this  brute  nature,  what  have  we  to  oppose 
to  these  propensities  ?  First,  against  its  blind  assaults  we 
can  array  the  forces  and  lights  of  reason  and  the  intellect- 
ual system.  Secondly,  against  its  instincts  and  impulses 
we  can  array  the  practical  faculty  of  the  will,  with  all  moral 
forces  —  self-control,  self-respect,  duty,  honor,  and  all 
virtue.  Thirdly,  we  have  a  living  and  wakeful  conscience 
standing  sentinel  over  the  whole  man,  to  strike  with  the 
dagger  of  remorse  all  who  basely  flee  or  weakly  yield  to 
the  enemy. 


430  LIFE  OF  ELDER  WALTER  SCOTT. 

"Animated,  then,  by  the  love  of  virtue  and  victory — 
by  the  desire  of  pleasing  God,  and  good  men,  and  good 
angels,  yea,  and  our  own  pure  conscience  —  shall  we 
yield  to  the  foe  or  die  at  our  post  ?  We  will  die  at  our 
post.  The  Lord  being  our  helper,  we  will  die  at  our  post. 
''Your  brother  in  Christ, 

"  Walter  Scott.  " 


ACTIVE   TO   THE  LAST.  43  I 


CHAPTER    XXVIII. 

Deeply    concerned    at    the   prospect   of   Disunion — His  argument    for 
Union — His  great  grief  at  the  prevaiUng  troubles. 

THE  letter  with  which  the  last  chapter  closes 
was  written  in  the  spring  of  i860,  when  Scott 
was  over  three-score ;  he  was,  however,  still  active, 
still  planning  deeds  of  toil  and  usefulness,  and  gave 
every  indication  that  he  intended  the  last  enemy 
should  find  him  at  his  post  with  his  armor  on.  His 
power  in  the  pulpit  seemed  to  be  scarcely  abated, 
and  the  productions  of  his  pen  possessed  much  of  the 
freshness  and  vigor  of  his  early  days. 

During  the  thirty  years  that  had  passed  since  he 
first  went  before  the  public  with  his  plea  for  a  return 
to  the  simplicity  of  the  primitive  gospel,  the  Disciples 
from  a  handful  had  become  a  multitude,  and  the  prin- 
ciples for  which  he  had  battled  so  long  and  well  were 
widely  spread  and  firmly  established.  Every-where 
through  the  West  the  results  of  his  labors  were  ap- 
parent ;  and  the  churches  he  had  established  on  the 
Western  Reserve  were  exercising  a  commanding  in- 
fluence in  the  respective  communities  in  which  they 
were  located,  and  no  reformer  of  modern  times  ever 
saw  so  rich  a  harvest  as  did  he,  from  the  seed  which 
was  sown  in  tears.  Many  of  his  converts  had  become 
able  and  successful  preachers,  and  though  one  by  one 
his  old  companions  in  toil  were  gathered  to  their  rest. 


432  LIFE  OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCOTT. 

there  was  every  prospect  that  the  work  which  was 
left  to  younger  hands  would  be  well  done.  Honor 
and  glad  welcome  now  greeted  him  where  persecu- 
tion and  misrepresentation  had  formerly  been  en- 
countered, and  his  heart  was  gladdened  by  seeing  his 
spiritual  children  walking  and  rejoicing  in  the  truth. 
When  he  met  with  his  surviving  fellow-laborers,  it 
was  pleasant  to  talk  of  trials  past  and  battles  won, 
and  almost  inspired  the  wish  that  youth  might  be 
renewed,  to  pass  again  through- the  trials  it  was  so 
sweet  to  remember.  An  instance  of  this  is  related 
by  his  life-long  friend  and  fellow-laborer  Elder  James 
Challen.  He  says :  "  I  met  Bro.  Scott  on  Main 
Street,  Cincinnati  ;  he  was  in  quite  a  meditative 
mood,  and  was  evidently  thinking  of  approaching  old 
age  and  the  decay  of  his  powers  and  the  feebleness  it 
would  bring.  I  roused  him  from  his  reverie  by  refer- 
ring to  the  trials  and  triumphs  of  the  past  ;  when, 
with  tears  in  his  eyes,  and  with  touching  pathos  and 
sublimity,  he  said  :  *  Oh,  brother  Challen,  I  wish  that 
I  were  young  again  ;  I  would  fight  my  way  onward 
and  upward  from  the  river  to  the  hills.'  " 

But  he  was  not  destined  to  feel  the  decay  of  his 
powers,  which  at  such  moments  he  seemed  to  fear, 
for  the  end  came  before  his  energies  gave  evidence 
of  any  great  and  sad  decline,  and  had  that  end  come 
but  a  few  months  sooner  he  would  have  escaped  one 
of  the  greatest  sorrows  that  his  heart  ever  felt.  This 
great  trouble  was  the  sad  state  of  the  country  which 
soon  culminated  in  disunion  and  a  civil  war. 

As  already  intimated,  he  was  a  great  lover  of  Amer- 
ican institutions  ;  under  them  the  human  mind  had 
freer  scope  than  it  had  ever  enjoyed  before  ;   there 


SAD    rOREIWDJXGS.  433 

were  no  alliances  or  entanglements  between  the 
church  and  State,  no  religion  established  by  law ;  and 
hence  he  deemed  that  Christianity  had  never  enjoyed 
such  an  opportunity  to  prove  her  sovereignty,  and  he 
cherished  the  hope  that  under  such  favorable  circum- 
stances she  would  do  more  than  ever  in  subduing 
mankind  to  God.  These  hopes  were  suddenly. and 
rudely  dissipated  by  the  rupture  between  the  States 
which  followed  the  election  of  Abraham  Lincoln  to 
the  Presidency  in  the  fall  of  i860,  and  no  one  felt 
more  keenly  or  deplored  more  deeply  the  state  of 
things  which  then  prevailed  than  Elder  Scott. 

His  sorrow,  however,  did  not  unman  him,  but,  on 
the  contrary,  aroused  him  to  do  all  in  his  power,  as  a 
man  and  a  Christian,  to  avert  the  dangers  which 
threatened.  He  wrote  and  spoke  much  with  regard 
to  the  state  of  the  country,  with  great  force  and  elo- 
quence ;  and  while  he  was  the  unswerving  friend  of 
the  Government,  he  never  permitted  the  Christian  to 
be  lost  in  the  politician — never  gave  utterance  to  an 
unseemly  or  blood-thirsty  expression  ;  his  views  of  the 
nature  of  the  contest  so  near  at  hand  were  far  clearer 
than  those  of  most  men  of  his  time  ;  he  loved  not 
strife,  but  he  saw  that  it  was  inevitable  ;  he  neither 
sought  nor  desired  to  be  neutral,  and  he  left  behind 
him  a  record  that  will  ever  stamp  him  as  a  Christian 
patriot.  His  friends  North  and  South  were  num- 
bered by  tens  of  thousands,  and  to  them  he  addressed 
a  well  considered  and  carefully  written  expression  of 
his  views  on  the  great  questions  of  the  hour.  This 
essay,  called  the  "  Crisis,"  was  publicly  read  on  sev- 
eral occasions,  and  was  warmly  approved,  but,  by  a 
policy  which  was  unjust  to  Scott,  it  was  denied  a 
37 


434  LIFE  OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCOTT. 

place  on  the  pages  of  a  periodical  which  would  have 
brought  it  before  thousands  of  those  who  knew  him 
best,  and  who  would  have  been  most  likely  to  have 
been  benefited  by  his  earnest  and  truthful  words. 
It  is  extremely  doubtful  whether  the  matters  at  issue 
at  that  time  were  ever  more  ably  or  eloquently  set 
forth  than  in  the  essay  under  consideration,  and  it  is 
very  certain  that  those  questions  were  never  dis- 
cussed in  a  better  temper  and  spirit.  Nothing  of  the 
partisan  or  demagogue  appears  in  it,  but  a  clear  head 
and  a  kind  heart  are  every-where  discoverable.  The 
document  is  too  long  for  insertion  entire,  yet  his  life 
would  be  imperfect  without  some  notice  of  his  views 
on  a  subject  of  such  grave  importance,  and  we  there- 
fore give  a  few  of  the  introductory  pages  from  which 
to  judge  the  whole  : 

*' Brethren  and  fellow-citizens:  Though  as  professors 
of  the  glorious  gospel,  we  may  and  ought  to  hold  ourselves 
aloof  from  the  defiling  influences  of  party  politics,  we  may 
not  with  impunity,  I  apprehend,  voluntarily  shut  our  eyes 
and  ears  on  the  nature  of  the  political  system  under  which 
we  live,  and  simply  because  we  are  Christians  remain  both 
deaf  and  blind  to  its  workings  for  good  and  for  evil.  If  I 
thought  otherwise,  certain  I  am  that  my  convictions  would 
receive  no  support  or  countenance  from  the  example  of  our 
great  apostle  Paul,  who,  in  all  his  conflicts  with  his  coun- 
trymen and  the  Gentiles,  exhibited  a  consummate  knowl- 
edge of  the  Roman  and  Jewish  laws  under  which  he  lived. 
This  is  evident  in  his  speeches  before  the  magistrates  of 
Philippi,  before  the  Roman  captain  Lysias,  the  Jewish  high 
priest,  Festus,  and  King  Agrippa. 

"  Brethren  and  fellow-citizens  :  Fraternal  ties  are  being 
sundered,  and  sundered,  I   fear,  forever.     The  Northern 


THE  CRISIS.  435 

and  Southern  sections  of  our  illustrious  Republic,  hitherto 
nurtured,  like  twin  sisters,  at  the  breast  of  the  same  rnag7ia 
mater  viriun,  purpose  to  discard  the  fraternal  relation,  and, 
as  distinct  nations,  stand  in  future  to  each  other  in  the 
relations  of  peace  or  war,  blood  or  gain.  Some  good- 
natured  but  not  far-seeing  men  imagine  that  our  Federal 
difficulties  will  disappear  as  certainly  and  suddenly  as  they 
were  suddenly  and  unexpectedly  developed.  God  grant 
they  may;  but  brothers'  quarrels  are  not  lovers'  quarrels, 
and  it  requires  but  little  logic  to  foresee  that,  unless  the 
black  cloud  that  at  present  overhangs  the  great  Republic  is 
speedily  buried  in  the  deep  bosom  of  the  ocean,  it  will 
finally  rain  down  war,  bloodshed,  and  death  on  these  hith- 
erto peaceful  and  delightful  lands. 

*'  Brethren,  I  thought  it  might  shed  a  salutary  influence 
on  your  bleeding  hearts  to  submit  to  you,  in  the  tranquil- 
lity of  a  written  and  read  oration,  an  exhibit  of  our  public 
affairs  as  they  have,  at  this  distracted  crisis,  impressed 
themselves  on  my  own  understanding  and  heart.  I  say 
'my  heart,'  for  God  is  witness  to  the  floods  of  bitter 
tears  I  have  shed  over  the  disruption  of  our  Federal  Gov- 
ernment. 

"I  thought  that,  your  fears  being  soothed  by  the 
consideration  that  'all  is  not  lost  that  is  in  danger,'  I 
might  intercede  with  you  to  continue  your  prayer  to  God 
in  behalf  of  the  Republic ;  that  he  would  have  this  great 
nation  in  his  holy  keeping;  that  he  would  preserve  the 
Union  in  its  integrity ;  that  he  would  impart  wisdom  to 
our  conservative  statesmen ;  defeat  the  counsels  of  our 
Ahithophels,  and  cause  this  magnificent  and  unparalleled 
government  to  remain  'one  and  indivisible,  now  and 
forever ! ' 

"  Union  !  But  first  of  Union.  Union  is  of  two  sorts  at 
least;  namely,  organic  or  inorganic — /.  e.,  systematic  or 
numerical.     Systciiidtic  union    is  seen  in  plants,   animals, 


436  LIFE  OF  ELDER   WALTER   SCOTT. 

and  man,  in  whose  person  each  particular  member  is  formed 
with  relations  to  all  the  rest  and  to  a  vital  center.  We  see 
what  numerical  union  is  when  we  look  upon  the  particles 
that  go  to  make  up  a  cup  of  water  or  a  hillock  of  sand,  be- 
tween which  there  is  no  systematic,  no  organic  adhesion, 
no  relation  of  the  molecules  or  atoms  to  a  vital  center. 
Now,  our  States  are  not  put  up  as  a  hillock  of  sand,  but, 
like  one  of  the  natural  systems,  with  parts  formed  with, 
relations  to  each  other  and  to  a  great  living  center — the 
United  States  Government.  But,  to  illustrate,  let  us  draw 
upon  the  analogies  of  nature.  The  solar  system  is  not  a 
dark,  formless,  chaotic  mass  such  as  it  once  was,  before  the 
great  Creator  said,  'Let  there  be  light,'  but  is  a  grand, 
magnificent  induction  of  material  orbs  and  influences,  of 
which  the  great  generality  or  center  is  the  sun  himself. 
Analogous  to  this,  the  United  States  is  an  induction  of 
political  powers  and  personages  of  which  the  Federal  Gov- 
ernment is  the  great  generality  or  center.  These  two 
orders  of  things,  the  material  and  the  social,  are  therefore 
put  fep  systematically ;  that  is,  in  the  solar  system,  for  in- 
stance, each  particular  planet  is  formed  with  solar  relations; 
that  is,  each  is  formed  with  relations  to  the  sun's  structure. 
Their  natural  necessities,  which  are  darkness,  coldness,  des- 
olation, and  death,  are  therefore  anticipated  and  met  by  the 
effulgence  of  the  sun,  his  warmth,  fruitfulness,  and  amazing 
wealth  of  vitality.  The  planets  are,  therefore,  all  great  in 
the  sun's  greatness,  all  renowned  in  his  renown,  all  resplen- 
dent in  his  splendor,  all  glorified  in  his  glory.  This  is 
stable,  permanent,  systematic  union. 

"Analogous  to  the  material,  in  our  political  system 
each  particular  State  is  formed  with  federal  relations. 
Every  one  of  them  is  politically  constructed  with  a  refer- 
ence to  the  structure  of  the  general  Constitution  ;  and  all 
their  political  necessities,  which  are  weakness,  defense- 
lessness,  liability  to  revolution,  and  extinction,  are  met  by 


THE    CRISIS.  437 

tlie  power,  war  ordinance,  stability,  and  vast  vitality  of  the 
Federal  Government.  In  the  greatness  of  the  General 
Government  each  State  is  great;  in  its  renown,  each  State  is 
renowned  ;  in  its  grandeur  each  is  grand  ;  in  its  splendor  each 
is  splendid  ;  in  its  glory  each  is  glorified.  This  is  systematic 
political  union.  Shall  it  be  stable,  permanent,  enduring? 
*'  We  have,  then,  already  reached  what  a  great  philoso- 
pher calls  a  'vantage  ground,'  a  summit,  a  point  of  eleva- 
tion in  our  argument  for  union.  Here  we  may  for  a  moment 
halt  and  look  around  us.  First,  we  have  seen  that  the 
American  political  system  is  not  unsupported  by  the  anal- 
ogies of  science.  Second,  we  have  seen  that  the  United 
States  Government  is  not  like  the  center  of  a  heap  of  sand 
or  a  superficies,  a  mere  index  point  without  magnitude, 
parts,  or  power,  but,  like  the  center  of  the  solar  system,  is 
the  center  of  a  solidarity  of  States  with  powers  to  crush  all 
foreign  foes.  Hence  the  confederation  is  called  the  ^United 
States.'  Admit  secession  to  be  a  law  or  right,  the  confed- 
eration is  at  once  transfigured  into  a  simple  aggregation, 
and  would  then  more  fitly  be  called  the  'Disunited  States.' 
Third,  T  infer  that  the  States  being  organic,  a  body  politic, 
a  confederation,  a  constitutional  order  of  things,  no  single 
member  can  more  legitimately  divorce  itself  from  the  cen- 
tral government  than  can  the  central  government  legiti- 
mately divorce  itself  from  the  single  State.  '  The  one  can 
not  say  to  the  other,  I  have  no  need  of  thee.'  Fourth,  all 
science  is  founded  on  the  stability  of  nature.  If  the  course 
of  nature  were  not  the  same  to-day  as  it  was  yesterday,  or 
not  to-morrow  what  it  is  to-day,  all  confidence  would  be 
lost;  but  science  and  the  safety  of  all  God's  creatures  re- 
quire that  the  course  of  nature  should  be  uniform  ;  and  so 
it  is.  We  look  to  the  sapphire  heaven,  and  at  night  see 
hung  forth  there  the  same  starry  jewelry  at  which  father 
Abraham  gazed  with  admiration,  when  the  great  Creator 
said  to  him,  *  So  shall  thy  seed  be. '     The  same  sun  and 


43 8  LIFE  OF  ELDER   WALTER   SCOTT. 

moon  to  which  Joshua  said,  'Sun,  stand  thou  still  upon 
Gibeon,  and  thou  moon  in  the  valley  of  Ajalon,'  enlighten 
us  as  they  enlightened  him.  Hence,  if  secession  is  true, 
the  United  States  Government  is  unsupported  by  the  anal- 
ogies of  nature.  For,  instead  of  being  like  nature,  uniform, 
stable,  permanent,  safe,  and  reliable,  constantly  subject  to 
secession  with  impunity,  it  must  ever  be  weak,  unstable, 
the  least  permanent^,  the  least  reliable,  and  most  uncertain 
of  all  kinds  of  government.  No  one  will  deny  that  it  is 
the  rarest  and  most  perfect  piece  of  political  workmanship 
ever  framed  by  man,  and  that  from  amidst  the  planetary 
States  by  which  it  has  hitherto  ueen  encircled,  it  looked 
forth  upon  the  benighted  nations,  with  sun-bright  glory 
cheering  our  sin-oppressed  nature,  over  the  wide  world,  with 
high  hopes  of  freedom,  security,  and  an  endless  progress  in 
science,  art,  and  our  blessed  Christianity.  But  the  doctrine 
of  secession  has  shorn  it  of  half  its  beams,  so  that  our  grand 
government,  instead  of  reminding  us  of  the  sun  of  the  nat- 
ural world  going  forth  from  the  orient  with  strength  and 
shaking  his  yellow  locks  round  half  the  world  at  once, 
rather  suggests  to  us  the  doleful  apocalyptic  vision,  when 
the  third  part  of  the  sun  was  smitten,  and  a  great  angel 
flying  in  the  midst  of  heaven  was  heard  to  cry,  with  a  loud 
voice,  'Woe,  woe,  woe  to  the  inhabitants  of  the  earth !' 

"  I  admit  there  are,  and  perhaps  ever  must  be,  blemishes 
in  all  human  governments,  for  there  are  spots  in  the  sun, 
and  in  the  system  of  which  he  is  the  center,  the  planets, 
as  in  their  'bulging,'  sometimes  exert  a  disturbing  influence 
and  draw  each  other  for  a  brief  space  somewhat  from  their 
straightforward  course  in  their  orbits ;  but  the  unity,  har- 
mony, and  integrity  of  the  solar  system  is  maintained  nev- 
ertheless. The  doctrine  of  secession  is  unknown  in  the 
heavens.  If  it  is  so  in  God's  works ;  if  there  are  spots  in 
the  sun,  and  disturbing  influences  in  the  system  of  which 
he  is  the  center,  we  do  not  expect  it  to  be  otherwise  in 


THE    CRISIS. 


439 


man's  works;  we  do  not  expect  the  human  to  excel  the 
divine  government,  nature,  or  man  his  Maker;  but  we  do 
expect  that,  though  blemishes  are  seen  on  our  body  politic, 
and  disturbing  forces  spring  upon  us  unawares  and  produce 
for  a  moment  slight  aberrations  from  the  straightforward 
course,  that  there  shall  be  no  doctrine  of  secession  accepted 
by  the  people;  and  that,  despite  imperfections  which  attaches 
to  all  human  institutions,  our  hitherto  glorious  government 
will  maintain  its  unity,  harmony,  and  integrity,  these  evils 
to  the  contrary  notwithstanding.  We  may,  however,  im- 
agine one  of  the  planets  to  dissolve  the  bands  by  which  it 
is  united  to  the  solar  center  of  light,  warmth,  and  life,  and 
run  lawlessly  through  the  heavens,  but  could  it  do  so  with- 
out inflicting  irreparable  injury  upon  other  orbs  or  being 
itself  at  last  destroyed?  Can,  then,  one  or  more  of  our 
States  sever  the  bands  which  unite  it  to  the  central  govern- 
ment without  inflicting  on  other  States  irreparable  damage 
or  being  itself  destroyed  ?     We  shall  see. 

''But,  to  conclude  my  argument  for  union  and  against 
secession,  before  I  detail  those  causes  which  have  led  to 
secession,  allow  me  to  say,  finally,  that,  as  in  the  astronom- 
ical system  there  is  a  tendency  in  each  planet  to  fly  off  in 
the  direction  of  centrifugal  force,  and  nothing  prevents  it 
from  doing  so  but  the  centripetal  or  solar  power,  so  man, 
being  created  with  dominion,  having  in  him  an  innate  love 
of  independence,  he  is  in  danger  of  revolting  and  flying 
off  in  the  direction  of  this  inborn  ambition,  and  so  of  in- 
flicting unspeakable  evils  on  society.  Zenophon  said  he 
had  observed  that  herds  were  more  ready  to  obey  their 
masters  than  men  their  magistrates.  Unless,  therefore,  this 
spirit  is  checked  and  man's  executiveness  is  placed  under 
the  restraints  of  wholesome  laws  vigorously  enforced,  an- 
archy will  ensue ;  but  any  kind  of  government  is  better 
than  anarchy.  The  government,  therefore,  that  will  not, 
with  all  its  force^  in  defiance  of  all  obstacles,  put  down  an- 


440  LIFE  OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCOTT. 

archy  and  the  doctrine  that  leads  to  it,  ought  itself  to  be 
put  down,  as  men  are  more  ready  to  follow  a  bad  example 
than  a-ttend  to  a  good  precept.  If  this  course  is  not  pur- 
sued with  personages  working  treason,  others  will  imitate 
their  insurrectionary  precedent,  till  the  infection  of  revolt 
spreading  far  and  wide  among  the  people,  our  Union  will 
be  dissolved  and  the  United  Stares  Government  perish  in 
the  whirlpool  of  bloody  revolution.  With  this  view  of 
things,  it  would  be  impossible  for  me  to  admit  the  legit- 
imacy oi  secession,  unless  I  could  also  admit  that  the  United 
States  Constitution  contemplated  its  own  future  destruc- 
tion and  provided  for  it,  which  is  absurd. 

''Such,  then,  i-s  our  argument  against  secession  and  in 
behalf  of  Union  as  it  has  been,  and  as  I  hope  it  may  again 
be.  We  have  seen  that  our  politics  are  a  system  supported 
by  the  analogies  of  nature,  and  that  those  who  constructed 
that  system  could  not  possibly  have  intended  to  make  any 
provision  for  its  overthrow,  such  as  is  secession,  but  must 
have  designed  it  to  be  'one  and  indivisible,  now  and 
forever.'  " 

At  the  time  the  preceding  sentiments  were  penned, 
while  the  worst  was  to  be  feared  from  the  great  agi- 
tation both  at  the  North  and  the  South,  the  worst  had 
not  yet  come.  Mr.  Scott,  however,  was  far-sighted 
enough  to  see  that  the  threatened  disruption  would 
not  be  a  bloodless  one,  and  the  prospect  overwhelmed 
him  with  grief.  His  letters  at  this  period  reveal  fully 
the  state  of  his  mind.  In  one  of  them,  addressed  to 
his  eldest  son,  he  writes  : 

"I  thank  God  that  I  have  a  son  who  fears  the  Most 
High,  and  who  loves  ^his-own,  his  7iafi7'^  land.^  Your 
sentiments  and  feelings  touching  the  Federal  Government 


LETTER   TO  HIS  SON.  44 1 

and  the  Union  of  all  the  States  are  so  perfectly  identical 
with  my  own,  that  I  need  not  rehearse  them.  You  say:  *I 
am  so  disheartened  and  cast  down,  so  overwhelmed  with 
the  genecLil  gloom  that  overspreads  my  dear,  my  native 
land,  that  I  can  scarcely  think  of  any  thing  else.'  These 
words,  my  son,  precisely  describe  my  state  of  mind.  I  can 
think  of  nothing  but  the  sorrows  and  dangers  of  my  most 
beloved  adopted  country.  God  is  A\itness  to  my  tears  and 
grief.  I  am  cast  down,  I  am  afflicted,  I  am  all  broken  to 
pieces.  My  confidence  in  man  is  gone.  May  the  Father 
of  mercies  show  us  mercy  !  Mine  eye  runneth  down  with 
grief.  In  the  Revolution,  God  gave  us  a  man  equal  to  the 
occasion  ;  but  at  this  gloomy  crisis  such  a  man  is  wanting ; 
let  us  look  to  God,  then.  There  was  a  time  in  ancient 
Israel's  misfortunes  when  God  looked  for  such  a  man,  a 
man  equal  to  the  crisis,  but  there  was  none.  'I  looked,' 
he  says,  'and  there  was  none  to  save,  and  I  wondered  there 
were  none  to  uphold,  therefore  mine  own  arm  brought 
salvation  to  me,  and  my  fury  it  upheld  me.'  Let  us  pray 
unceasingly,  and  trust  it  will  be  so  now — trust  that  his  own 
arm  will  bring  salvation.  Oh,  that  it  might,  that  all  the 
glory  may  be  his  ! 

''  You  ask  if  I  think  the  Lord  will  interfere  in  our  be- 
half? I  answer,  that  unless  he  has  decided  to  destroy  us  as 
a  nation,  he  will  interfere  and  rescue  us  from  the  impending 
vengeance.  Let  us,  my  son,  be  as  Moses  in  the  case,  and 
cease  not  to  invoke  his  interference  in  our  behalf.  Let  us 
be  earnest  for  our  dear  country.  I  had  thought  that  in 
my  prayers  none  could  insinuate  themselves  between  me 
and  my  dear  children,  but  believe  me,  my  son,  even  my  own 
dear  flesh  and  blood  has  given  way  to  my  patriotism — my 
country.  Hence,  you  will  infer  what  earnest  grief  inspires 
my  supplications  for  the  Republic.  On  Friday,  let  us  go 
before  the  Lord  fasting,  and,  humbling  ourselves  before  the 
blessed  God,  confess,  in  behalf  both  of  ourselves  and  our 


44-  LIFE  OF  ELDER  WALTER  SCOTT. 

dear  country,  all  our  sins,  and  determine,  with  his  help,  to 
reform  in  all  things.  Let  us  say,  with  that  great  servant  of 
the  Lord,  Moses,  *  If  thou  wilt  slay  all  this  people,  blot  me 
out  of  thy  book  of  life.'  For  all  the  nations  will, hear  and 
say  that  it  was  because  the  Lord  wanted  to  destroy  them 
that  he  gave  them  their  great  inheritance.  Oh,  that  the 
Lord  would  forgive  the  nation  and  heal  the  dreadful  and 
ghastly  wound  that  has  been  inflicted  on  the  body  of  the 
Republic." 

Such  were  the  feelings  which  overflowed  from  his 
pious  and  patriotic  heart  about  the  close  of  'he  year 
i860,  when  only  one  State  had  seceded,  when  as 
yet  no  blow  had  been  struck,  when  no  blood  had 
been  shed. 


THE  EXD  AT  HAND.  443 


CHAPTER    XXIX. 

Tlie  end  at  hand  —  The  news  of  the  fall  of  Fort  Sumter  —  Taken  sud- 
denly ill — Visited  by  Elders  Rogers  and  Streator — Death— A.  Camp- 
bell's tribute  to  his  memory. 

WE  have  now  reached  1861,  the  last  year  of  the 
life  of  Elder  Scott,  and  his  last  days  were 
in  the  dark  days  of  the  Republic.  We  have  seen 
already  that  the  distracted  state  of  the  country  deeply 
affected  him,  but  he  had  only  seen  thus  far  the  begin- 
ning of  sorrows  ;  one  State  only  had  broken  away 
from  the  rest,  like  a  star  falling  from  the  firmament ; 
but  now  they  began  to  fall  in  quick  succession,  like 
the  angels  who  kept  not  their  first  estate,  falling  from 
their  thrones  of  light.  He  now  realized  that  there 
was  no  hope  of  a  peaceful  adjustment,  and  that  the 
land  of  which  he  was  proud  to  be  a  citizen,  which 
had  been  a  light  to  other  lands  was  about  to  undergo 
a  dark  and  bloody  eclipse  ;  this  increased  his  sorrow 
and  filled  him  with  most  painful  forebodings,  for  in 
the  madness  that  ruled  the  hour  he  saw  nothing  but 
disaster  and  ruin,  and  feared  that,  in  the  storm  of  the 
impending  fraternal  strife,  the  ship  of  state  would  be 
wrecked  and  the  best  hopes  of  humanity  go  down. 

It  added  to  his  distress  to  find  that  the  voice  of 
reason  and  religion  was  almost  lost  amid  the  fierce 
tumult,  and  he  shuddered  at  the  thought  that  the 
blood  of  brethren  must  be  shed  by  brothers'  hands. 


444  LIFE  OF  ELDER    IVALTER  SCOTT. 

He  was  several  times  during  the  winter  called  upon 
to  address  public  meetings,  and  he  did  so  with  rare 
eloquence  and  deep  pathos  ;  his  words  were  words  of 
truth  and  soberness,  as  far  removed  as  possible  from 
the  language  of  the  demagogue — words  which  only 
a  true  Christian  patriot  could  feel  and  utter.  He 
greatly  desired  a  peaceful  settlement  of  the  existing 
troubles  ;  such  a  settlement  without  bloodshed  he 
deemed  would  present  to  men  and  angels  the  grand- 
est spectacle  of  the  power  of  religion  and  civilization 
that  mankind  had  ever  witnessed  ;  but  much  as  he 
desired  it,  he  was  not  sanguine  enough  to  indulge 
any  such  hope  at  this  time.  He  thus  gave  vent  to 
his  feelings  in  writing  to  his  son  John  : 

"  My  poor  wife  is  sitting  by  me,  reading  of  Gen.  Wash- 
ington, and  is  as  deeply  affected  by  the  state  of  our  national 
affairs  as  I  or  any  other  person  could  be.  This  terrible  affair 
has  broken  many  a  heart,  and,  I  fear,  if  there  is  not  a  change 
for  the  better  soon,  it  will  break  all  hearts.  I  never  heard 
of  so  grievous  a  case.  Abundance  of  tears  have  been  shed 
in  my  family  this  day  over  this  sad  event.  It  has  torn  me 
all  to  pieces.  I  thank  the  goodness  of  God  that  civil  war 
is  not  yet  upon  us.  If  all  the  Southern  States  secede  with- 
out compromise,  they  will  part  from  us  in  the  worst  spirit, 
and  war  will  follow.  Secession  is  war — Union,  peace.  I 
fear  tha!:,  unless  union  is  effected  immediately,  secession 
will  reveal  itself  in  the  thunders  of  civil  war." 

Soon  after  this,  in  a  letter  without  date,  in  reply  to 
one  from  his  son  in  Pittsburg,  dated  April  loth,  he 
writes  that  his  worst  fears  were  realized.  His  lan- 
guage is  as  follows  : 


LAST  SICKNESS.  445 

''The  fate  of  Fort  Sumter,  which  you  had  not  heard  of 
when  you  wrote — which,  indeed,  occurred  subsequently  to 
the  date  of  ycur  letter — will  now  have  reached  you.  Alas, 
for  my  country  !  Civil  war  is  now  most  certainly  inaugu- 
rated, and  its  termination  who  can  foresee?  Who  can  pre- 
dict? Twice  has  the  state  of  things  filled  my  eyes  with 
tears  this  day.  Oh,  my  country  !  my  country  !  How  1 
love  thee  !  how  I  deplore  thy  present  misfortunes  !" 

The  letter  from  which  we  have  quoted  must  have 
been  written  between  the  15th  and  20th  of  April,  less 
than  one  week  before  his  death.  No  intimation  was 
given  in  it  of  any  illness  ;  indeed,  he  was  able  on 
Monday,  the  15th,  to  visit  a  number  of  his  frieftds, 
and,  though  much  depressed  by  the  sad  state  of  the 
affairs  of  the  country,  he  was  to  all  appearance  in  his 
usual  health.  On  Tuesday,  he  was  attacked  with 
typhoid  pneumonia,  and  rapidly  grew  worse  ;  little 
alarm,  however,  was  felt  until  the  following  Lord's 
day,  when  it  was  thought  necessary  to  inform  his 
children  by  telegraph  that  his  condition  was  critical. 
Elder  John  Rogers,  an  old  friend  and  beloved  fellow- 
laborer,  happened  to  be  in  Mayslick  and  called  upon 
him,  and,  though  quite  ill,  found  him  able  to  converse 
freely.  Elder  Rogers  was  impressed  with  the  thought 
that  the  end  was  not  far  distant,  and  said  to  him  : 
"  Bro.  Scott,  is  this  death  .?"  He  replied  :  "It  is  very 
like  it."  "  Do  you  fear  death  .?"  was  the  next  ques- 
tion. "  Oh !  no,"  he  said  ;  "  I  know  in  whom  I  have 
trusted  ;"  and  during  the  entire  interview  he  mani- 
fested an  unwavering  faith  in  the  Savior  he  had 
long  preached  to  others,  and  whom  he  now  found  so 
precious  to  his  own  soul. 


44^  LIFE  OF  ELDER  WALTER  SCOTT, 

Elder  L.  P.  Streator  visited  him  several  times  dur- 
ing his  illness,  and  conversed  freely  with  him  with 
regard  to  the  change  which  was  evidently  near.  He 
asked  him  whether  he  was  conscious  that  he  was 
going  to  die.  "Yes,"  he  answered;  "and  many  a 
true  soldier  has  gone  before  me  over  Jordan." 

On  Sunday,  the  2ist,  he  was  evidently  sinking 
rapidly.  Elder  Streator  called  in,  and  found  him 
much  worse,  and,  taking  his  hand  at  parting,  said  : 
"Bro.  Scott,  you  will  soon  pass  over  Jordan."  "Do 
you  think  so  T  said  he.  "  Certainly,"  was  the  reply  ; 
"it  can  not  be  otherwise."  He  closed  his  eyes,  and 
said,  earnestly,  "The  will  of  the  Lord  be  done." 

He  lay  for  a  time  calm  and  silent,  but  soon  roused 
up  as  in  an  ecstasy,  and  burst  forth  in  a  rapturous 
strain.  He  spoke  of  the  joys  of  the  redeemed  when 
they  should  be  ushered  into  the  presence  of  the 
patriarchs,  'prophets,  apostles,  and  martyrs,  and  the 
myriad  hosts  washed  in  the  blood  of  the  Lamb  ;  of 
the  angelic  bands,  thrones,  dominions,  principalities, 
and  powers ;  of  the  great  white  throne  and  Him  that 
sat  thereon.  He  seemed  to  those  who  heard  him  as 
if  he  stood  near  ^he  open  gate  of  the  celestial  city, 
and  was  describing  the  glories  which  met  his  rav- 
ished sight  ;  the  dim  and  distant  was  now  bright 
and  near,  and  the  worn  and  weary  spirit  longed  to 
enter  in. 

After  this,  he  seemed  to  be  exhausted  and  fell  into 
a  quiet  slumber.  On  awaking,  he  said  :  "  I  have  been 
greatly  blessed  ;  it  has  been  my  privilege  to  develop 
the  kingdom  of  God.  I  have  been  greatly  honored." 
He  then  recounted  the  names  of  a  number  of  the 
great   and   good    men   with    whom   he   had  labored ; 


DEATH.  447 

among  them  Thomas  and  Alexander  Campbell,  John 
T.  Johnson,  Barton  W.  Stone,  and  Elder  John  Smith, 
showing  that  the  troubles  of  the  present,  which  had 
laid  as  a  burden  on  his  soul,  were  forgotten,  and  that 
his  mind  was  occupied  with  the  great  work  of  his  life 
which  the  Master  had  given  him  to  do,  and  which  was 
nearly  done.  His  disease  progressed  rapidly  after 
this  ;  by  Sunday  evening  he  was  too  low  to  speak, 
and  on  Tuesday  evening,  April  23d,  he  trustfully  and 
peacefully  fell  asleep  in  Jesus,  in  the  sixty-fifth  year 
of  his  age. 

His  children,  who  nearly  all  resided  in  Pittsburg, 
were  not  apprised  of  his  illness  until  danger  of  its  fatal 
termination  was  apprehended,  and,  though  they  lost 
not  a  moment  after  hearing  the  sad  and  altogether 
unexpected  intelligence,  they  did  no  reach  Mayslick 
until  the  early  dawn  of  Wednesday  morning,  and 
were  only  aware  that  they  were  too  late  to  close  his 
eyes  and  receive  his  dying  blessing,  when  they  came 
in  sight  of  the  house  and  knew  by  many  nameless 
tokens  that  death  was  there. 

All  his  children,  with  the  exception  of  his  son 
Samuel,  were  present  at  the  funeral  services,  which 
were  conducted  with  great  feeling  and  impressive- 
ness  by  Elder  John  Rogers  and  Elder  L.  P.  Streator. 
After  which,  in  the  village  graveyard,  his  remains 
were  laid  to  rest.  Several  notices  of  his  death  ap- 
peared in  various  journals,  religious  and  secular,  the 
most  noteworthy  of  them  in  the  "  Millennial  Har- 
binger," from  the  pen  of  its  venerable  editor,  Alex- 
ander Campbell,  whose  life-hong  acquaintance  and  co- 
operation qualified  him  to  pay  the  following  just  and 
merited  tribute  to  his  memory : 


44^  Ln^'E   OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCOTT. 

*'I  have  not  seen  an^  published  notice  of  the  death  of 
our  much  beloved  and  esteemed  Elder  Walter  Scott.  I 
have  just  now  learned,  by  a  letter  of  April  25th,  from  Bro. 
L.  P.  Streator,  that  he  was  seized,  one  week  before  he  wrote 
to  me,  with  a  severe  attack  of  typhoid  pneumonia,  at  his 
own  house,  which  in  seven  days  terminated  his  pilgrimage 
on  this  earth.  With  the  exception  of  his  son  Samuel,  ab- 
sent from  home,  he  was  followed  to  the  grave  by  all  his 
children. 

*'  No  death  in  my  horizon,  out  of  my  own  family,  came 
more  unexpectedly  or  more  ungratefully  to  my  ears 
than  this  of  our  much  beloved  and  highly  appreciated 
brother  Walter  Scott,  and  none  awoke  more  tender  sym- 
pathies and  regrets.  Next  to  my  father,  he  was  ,my  most 
cordial  and  indefatigable  fellow-laborer  in  the  origin  and 
progress  of  the  present  Reformation.  We  often  took  coun- 
sel together  in  our  efforts  to  plead  and  advocate  the  para- 
mount claims  of  original  and  apostolic  Christianity.  His 
whole  heart  Nvas  in  the  work.  He  was,  indeed,  truly  elo- 
quent, in  the  whole  import  of  that  word,  in  pleading  the 
claims  of  the  Author  and  Founder  of  the  Christian  faith 
and  hope,  and  in  disabusing  the  inquiring  mind  of  all  its 
prejudices,  misapprehensions,  and  errors.  He  was,  too, 
most  successful  in  winning  souls  to  the  allegiance  of 
the  Divine  Author  and  Founder  of  the  Christian  institu- 
tion, and  in  putting  to  silence  the  cavilings  and  objec- 
tions of  the  modern  Pharisees  and  Sadducees  of  sectarian- 
dom. 

''He,  indeed,  possessed,  upon  the  whole  view  of  his 
character,  a  happy  temperament.  It  is  true,  though  not  a 
verb,  he  had  his  moods  and  tenses,  as  men  of  genius  gen- 
erally have.  He  was  both  logical  and  rhetorical  in  his 
conceptions  and  utterances.*  He  could  and  he  did  simul- 
taneously address  and  interest,  the  understanding,  the 
conscience,    and    the    heart   of   his    hearers,    and   in    his 


A .  CA  MPBEL  L '  S  TRIE  UTE  TO  HIS  MEMOR  3 :     449 

happiest  seasons  constrain  their  attention  and  their  acqui- 
escence. 

"■  He  was,  in  his  palmiest  days,  a  powerful  and  a  success- 
ful advocate  of  the  claims  of  the  Lord  Messiah  on  the 
heart  and  life  of  every  one  who  had  recognized  his  per- 
son and  mission,  and  especially  upon  those  who  had,  in 
their  baptism,  vowed  eternal  allegiance  to  his  adorable 
name. 

*'  He,  without  partiality  of  enmity  in  his  heart  to  any 
human  being,  manfully  and  magnanimously  proclaimed  the 
truth,  the  whole  truth,  so  far  as  he  understood  it,  regardless 
of  human  applause  or  of  human  condemnation.  He  had  a 
strong  faith  in  the  person,  and  mission,  and  work  of  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ.  He  had  a  rich  hope  of  the  life  ever- 
lasting, and  of  the  inheritance  incorruptible,  undefiled, 
and  unfading. 

"I  knew  him  well.  I  knew  him  long.  I  loved  him 
much.  We  might  not,  indeed,  agree  in  every  opinion 
nor  in  every  point  of  expediency ;  but  we  never  loved 
each  other  less  because  we  did  not  acquiesce  in  every 
opinion  and  in  every  measure.  By  the  eye  of  faith  and 
the  eye  of  hope,  methinks  I  see  him  in  Abraham's 
bosom." 

In  the  light  of  his  finished  life  and  labors,  it  is  not 
an  extravagant  eulogy  to  say  that  he  was  a  man  of 
eminent  ability,  and  that  he  consecrated  all  his  tal- 
ents to  the  service  of  his  Lord  and  Master  ;  that  to 
his  magnificent  powers  of  mind  were  joined  humility, 
benevolence,  and  piety  ;  that  his  errors  were  few  and 
his  virtues  many  ;  that  his  life,  labors,  and  example 
are  a  rich  legacy  to  the  church  of  God.  His  fame  will 
continue  to  brighten  as  the  years  go  by,  and  his  mem- 
ory will  long  be  cherished  for  the  service  he  did  for 

38 


4 so  LIFE  OF  ELDER   WALTER  SCOTT. 

God  and  humanity  in  calling  attention  to  long  neg- 
lected and  almost  forgotten  truths.  Many,  very 
many  will  be  the  stars  in  his  crown  of  rejoicing,  and 
we  can  not  doubt  that  at  the  final  day  his  welcome 
will  be:  "Well  done,  good  and  faithful  servant ;  enter 
into  the  joy  of  thy  Lord." 


H.  S.  BOSWORTH.  D.  W.  CHASR.  J.  B.  HALL. 

T^XJ  BLIC  A  TlOlSrS      OF 

BOSWORTH,   CHASE  &  HALL, 

CINCINNATI,    O. 


V7e  Supply  Hymn  Books,  Hymnal,  and  all   the  Publications  of  the  Christian  Church. 
AGENTS     AA/ANTED. 

VALUABLE    CHRISTIAN    WORKS. 

LIFE  OF  ELDER  WALTER  SCOTT. 

With  sketclies  of  his  fellow-laborers, William  Hayden,  Adamson  Bentlej-,  John  Henry, 
and  others,  by  William  Baxter.  The  book  contains  a  line  steel  portrait,  is  printed  on 
tinted  paper,  lias  450  pages,  and  bound  in  cloth.    Sold  by  subscription  only.     Price....  $2  00 

THE  GOSPEL  PLAJNT  OF  SALVATION. 

Hy  T.  W.  Brents.    Crown,  U'mo.,  R67  pages,  cloth 2  50 

THE  GENUINENESS   AND    AUTHENTICITY  OF    THE    GOS- 
PELS. 

An  arsnniet'.t  conducted  on  historical  and  critical  grounds.  BvB.  A.  Hinsdale,  A.M. 
12n.u..  cl.th 1  25 

A    SCRIPTURAL    VIEW    OF    THE    OFFICE    OF    THE    HOLY 
SPIRIT. 
By  B.  Ilichardson.    12nio.,  ,"'.24  pages,  cloth 1  HO 

THE  TEACHER,  THE  CLASS,  AND  THE  BOOK. 

A  Series  of  Fifty-two  Sunday  School  Lessons,  consisting  in  a  Critical  Analysis  of  the 
Scriptures,  arranged  from  the  Gospels  consolidated,  lly  W.  B.  Hendryx.  190  pages, 
18mo.,  half  bound,  .0(1  cents, $4. so  per  doz.;  cloth,  75  cents  ;  per  doz 7  20 

ROSE  CARLTON'S  REWARD. 

By  Margaret  Frances.    A  splendid  gift  book  for  young  persons.     lU'st.,  2>3  pages 125 

RIVERSIDE; 

Or,  Winning  a  Soul.     By  Marie  Radcliffe  Butler.    174  pages.    Illustrated 90 

ORTHOGRAPHY  AND  PRONUNCIATION. 

By  Pr.  Joseph  31uenscher.     ]2mo.,  210  pages 1  00 

DUKE  CHRISTOPHER. 

A  story  of  the  Reformation.    By  IMrs.  Fanny  H.  Christopher.    Cloth 50 

BARTHOLET  MILON. 

A  Sequel  to  Duke  Christopher.     Cloth 50 

GRANMA'S  PATIENCE; 

Or,  airs.  James' Christmas  Gift.     Marie  Radcliffe  Butler.     Cloth  50 

SHALL  CHRISTIANS  GO  TO  WAR? 

DiscTission  by  Thomas  JMunnell  and  J.  S.  Sweeney.    24S  pages,  cloth,  16mo 1  00 

BRADEN  AND  HUGHEY  DEBATE 

On  the  Action,  Design,  and  Subjects  of  Baptism,  Work  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  etc.,  etc. 

687  page<,8vo.,  cloth 2  75 

THE  FAMILY  COMPANION; 

Or,  a  Book  of  Sermons  on  various  subjects,  both  doctrinal  and  practical.  By  Elijah 
Goodwin ; 1  75 

THE  ORGANON  OF  SCRIPTURE  ; 

Or,  The  Inductive  IMetiiod  of  Biblical  Interpretation.  Bv  J.  S.  Lamar.  In  this  vol- 
ume a  very  important  subject  is  discussed  with  great  ability.  Profound  in  thought, 
yet  admirably  adapted  to  the  capacity  of  all  readers.     12mo 1  50 

Sent  by  mail  on  receipt  of  price. 


Publications  of  Bosworth,  Chase  &  Hall,  Cincinnati. 


COMMENTARY  ON  THE  ACTS  OF  THE  APOSTLES. 

I'.y  I'rof.  .).  \V.  .•Mc(;;ii  v.-v.     :U)  i.i.-.-s,  ll'iiio.,  dotli 


THE  CHRISTIAN  SYSTEM. 

In  re  fere  nee  to  the  union  of  Chiistiaiis  jind  tlie  restonition  of  Primitive  Cliri.stianity. 

By  A.  Canipliell.     Ciotli,  Il!in<j 1  M 

CHRISTIAN  BAPTISM. 

NVith  its  Antecedents  and  Conserjueiits.     IJy  A.  Canipbcll.    Sheep,  §1  .00  ;  half-ljoniifl,    1  25 
CAMPBELL  AND  PURCELL'S  DEBATE 

On  Roman  Catholicism.    A  new  edition  of  this  very  able  discussion  is  ready.    Cloth 


1  5C 


Deliv. 

rr..d  h,.f, 

l)v  Al 

.•xaiKJ.r 

8ion  : 
portn 

to  will, 
ait.     Ed! 

CAMPBELL  AND  OWEN'S  DEBATE 

On  all  the  Systems  of  Skepticism,  Ancient  and  Slodern.    Complete  in  one  volnnie. 

Thi.s  will  always  remain  a  leading  work  on  the  evidences  of  Christianity 1  73 

FAMILIAR  LECTURES  ON  THE  PENTATEUCH. 

•  the  ."Morning  (Hass  of  P.ethany  CollcKe.  durins  the  Sesi^ion  of  1859-60, 
.iniplicll  ;  also  short  e.xtracts  from  his  sermons  during  the  same  ses- 
is  pretixed  a  sketch  of  the  life  of  I'lesideiit  Campbell,  with  a  fine  steel 
d  by  W.  T.  .Moore I  75 

MEMOIRS  OF  ELDER  THOMAS  CAMPBELL. 

r,y  Alexander  Campbell.     Cloth.  12mo 1  25 

WORKS  OF  ALEXANDER  CAMPBELL. 

New  librai\-  edition,  on  fine  paper.  Six  volumes:  Christian  Svstem,  Didiate  with 
Owen,  Cath(dicism.  r.aptism.  Life  of  Thomas  Campl>el!,  Pentateuch.  I'nifoini  in 
size,  style,  and  liindiiiir;  superior  to  any  other  edition  for  those  who  desire  the 
writings  of  President  Campbell  in  a  dress  worthy  of  the  author.  Price,  in  cloth, 
beveled,  nrt 7  .50 

THE  CHRISTIAN  BAPTIST. 

This  important  work  can  not  be  superseded  by  any  subsequent  publications.  Seven 
volunifs  in  one,  containing  fisn  double-columned  pages.  13y  A.  Campbell.  New  edi- 
tion.    Price,  in  cloth,  $.; ;  arabesque 3  50 

A  TREATISE  ON  PRAYER. 

Dedicated  to  the  Christian  Churches  in  America.  By  11.  Milligan,  President  of  the 
College  of  the  Bible  in  iventucky  University.    Beautifully  printed  on  tine  paper,  and 

bound  in  fine  clotli,  vermilion  edges  ."iO 

THE  MESSIAHSHIP; 

Or,  Great  Demonstration.  Written  for  the  union  of  Christians  on  Christian  princi- 
ples.    By  Walter  Scott 1  50 

LIVING  ORACLES. 

Tlie  Sacred  writings  of  the  Apostles  and  Evangelists,  translated  from  the  original 
Greek,  by  Pis.  Campbell. 31acktiight,  and  Dodilridge,  with  preface,  emendations,  and 
an  appendix  by  Alexander  Campbell.     Pocket  edition,  bound  in  cloth .50 

CHRISTIAN  CHURCH  REGISTER. 

With  various  special  rulings  and  .printed  headings.  Arranged  by  Eld.  11.  3IofTett. 
Crown  cap  (;txH  inches  1.     16(1,  320,  and  480  pages.    Price 3  00,  5  00,  7  60 

CHURCH  CONTRIBUTION  RECORD. 

With  special  rulings  and  printed  headings,  for  keeping  account  of  weekly  contribu- 
tions.    40  pages,  SI   10;  80  pages 1  50 

CHRISTIAN  SUNDAY-SCHOOL  LIBRARY! 

New  Ediiion,  with  New  Illustrations.  Edited  by  Elder  P.  S.  Burnet.  50  books  in  40 
vols.,  cloth,  price 12  00 

CHRISTIAN  SUNDAY-SCHOOL  HYMN  BOOK. 

Designed  for  Sunday-schools  and  Families.     ISti  pages,  .'',2  nio.,  half-bound,  per  doz., 

|l  .50;  cloth,  per  doz 2  40 

In  ordering  give  Post-office,  County,  and  State  in  each  letter.    Remit  by  Money  Order,  Reg. 
ister  Letter,  or  Bank  Draft  at  our  risk.    Letters  of  inquiry  receive  prompt  attention. 

ADDRESS, 

BOSWORTH,  C  HASE  &  HAI.I.,  Pnblisliors, 

CINCINNATI. 
Sent  by  mail  on  receipt  of  price. 


Publications  of  Bosworth,  Chase  &.  Hall,  Cincinnati. 


CHRISTIAN  TRACTS 


SMALL  BOOKS  IN  NEAT  PAPER  COVERS  VALUABLE  FOR  CIRCULAHON. 

WOMAN'S  WORK  IN  THE  CHURCH. 

Bv  W.  T.  Mooi  0 *0  IC 

THE  MISSION   OF  THE   HOLY  SPIRIT. 

By  John  W.Randall - *• 

THE  EVILS  OF  INTEMPERANCE. 

A  Tract.     By  Charles  P.  Evans "^® 

THE  TRUE  BASIS  OF  CHRISTIAN  UNION. 

By  Isaiic  Ern^tt l*^ 

GRACE  AND  GOOD  WORKS; 

Or,  of  the  Divine  and  Human  Agency  in  the  work  of  Human  lledemption.    By  R. 

Milligan,  President  uf  the  College  of  the  Bible  in  Kentucky  University 10 

FIRST  PRINCIPLES; 

Or,  The  Elements  of  the  Gospel.    Analyzed  and  discussed  in  letters  to  an  inquirer. 

By  Isaac  Errett.     159  pages I* 

"a  brief  treatise  on  prayer. 

By  R.  Milligan W 

PRINCIPLES  AND  OBJECTS 

Of  the  Religious  Reformation,  as  plead  by  A.  Campbell  and  others.    By  11.  Richardson       10 
This  statement  of  the  "  Principles  and  Objects  "  of  the  Reformation  is  written  in  good 
taste  and  style;  is  brief,  yet  covers  the  whole  ground.    This  should  be  freely  circula- 
ted. 

SALVATION  FROM  SIN  ; 

Or,  What  Must  I  Do  to  be  Saved?    By  Dr.  J.  P.  Walsh !• 

The  topics  treated  are  Faith,  Repentance,  Confession,  Calling  on  the  Name  of  the  Lord, 
Baptism,  and  Salvation. 

"LIFE  AND  DEATH." 

A  Refutation  of  Materialism  and  Modern  Sadduceeisra !• 

CHRISTIAN  EXPERIENCE; 

Or,  Sincerity  Seeking  the  Way  to  Heaven.    A  Dialogue ...-       10 

THE  UNION  MOVEMENT. 

A  Dialogue,  showing  the  only  possible  ground  of  Christian  union 10 

TRUE  METHOD  OF  SEARCHING  THE  SCRIPTURES. 

By  President  Fanning.    Paper,  15  cents;  cloth ~~..       00 

M'LEAN  ON  THE  COMMISSION 

Of  Christ  and  His  Apostles.     Paper „ ~       8« 

SIX  LETTERS  TO  A  SKEPTIC. 

By  A.  Campbell.    57  pages ~-.—         • 

SPIRITUALISM  SELF-CONDEMNED. 

By  Isaac  Errett.    A  very  valuable  tract,  with  neat  cover ~..~         • 

CHRIST'S  CHURCH  IDENTIFIED. 

By  Elder  A.  Raines.  Cloth - —       >• 

B  ADICALISM  and  CONSERVATISM. 

Tieir  influence  on  the  Development  of  a  true  Civilization.    By  W.  T.  Moore „—       M 

C^W  Sent  by  mail.,  prepaid,  on  recMpt  of  prUe. 


Publications  of  Bosworth,  Chase  &.  Hall,  Cincinnati 


3 


UR  STRENGTH  AND  OUR  WEAKNESS. 
By  \V.  T.  3Iouie „ ^.^  |i,  u 

THE  PASTORATE. 

By  D.  S,  Burnet ^ 1« 

HEATHEN  TESTIMONIES 

To  tlie  Anti<iuity  and  Tiuthfulness  of  tho  Old  Testament.  By  T.  Munnell.  Per  dot.  7J 
SCRIPTURE  DOCTRINE 

Of  Justification  by  Faith.    By  J.  R.  Swift.    Per  dozen ....^       74 

THE  POVERTY  OF  JESUS, 

Tho  Wtalth  of  the  Saints.    By  D.  S.  Buruet.    Each,  10  cents.    Per  dozen 75 

DUTY  OF  CHRISTIANS 

To  Civil  Goveinnu'nt.    By  Dr.  S.  E.  Shcpard.     Per  dozen ; 75 

LIFE  AND  PUBLIC  CAREER 

Of  A.  Canipbfll.    Paper^  12iuo.     Witli  fine  steel  portrait 30 

MORRIS  LETTERS. 

Seven  reasons  given  for  not  being  a  Methodist.    189  pages,  clot"& ~ -..^...       M 

THE  DEATH  OF  CHRISr^. 

Written  for  the  recovery  of  the  Church  from  sects.    By  Walter  Scott.    132  pages .,       25 

THE  ELDERSHIP. 

By  J.  W.  McGarvey  10 

REPLY  TO  A  BAPTIST 

On  tlio  Design  of  Baptism.     By  M.  E.  Lard 10 

BIBLE  vs.  MATERIALISM. 

By  William  M.  Roe.    In  wiiieli  tlie  errors  and  sophisms  of  modern  Materialists  ar« 
detected  and  fully  e.xposed,  and  the  true  teaching  of  the  Bible  exhibited 30 

HOLMAN'S  TRACTS. 

Assorted  or  otherwise.    S(K)  pages  for  SI. 00.     1,000  pages 1  25 

TESTIMONY  OF  ONE  HUNDRED  WITNESSES. 

A  Tract  on  Universalism.    16  pages.    Per  dozen 25 

THE  EVIDENCES  OF  PARDON. 

A  Tract  of  12  pages,  iL'mo.     Per  dozen  25 

THE  CHURCH  AND  THE  SCHOOL. 

A  Tract.    By  John  Aug.  Williams.     16  pages,  16mo.    Per  dozen 25 

THE  LOGIC  OF  INFIDELITY. 

A  Tract  of  8  pages.     Per  humlred 1  00 

A  FEW  WORDS  ABOUT  BOOKS. 

A  Tract  of  S  pages.     Per  hundred 1  00 

THE  PLAN  OF  SALVATION. 

By  Isaac  Errett II 

THE  CONNECTION 

Between  Baptism  and  Remission  of  Sins.    Historically  considered.    By  W.  K.  Psa- 
dleton If 

THE  CHURCH  OF  THE  FUTURE. 

By  NV.  T.  Moore 1( 

Other  Tracts  from  the  ablest  pens  in  the  Reformation,  iu  course  of  preparation,  and  vrill  b« 
•dded  rom  time  to  time. 

Drdera  solicited.    Letters  oj  inquiry  will  have  our  immediate  attention. 
Address, 

SOSyrOiiTIT,  chase  <&  SAZZy  Cincinuatt\  Ohio, 

as-  Sent  bj/  mnil,  prepaid,  on  receipt  of  price. 


Publications  of  Bosworth,  Chase  &.  Hall,  Cincinnati. 


THE  CHRISTIAN  HYMH-BOOK. 

S^IAI^I^  KniTION.    (Pearl,  4$mo.) 

Blieep , „ each  .50;  by  tbe  dozen,  each  copy  .»• 


Arabesinie ..••.. 

Arabes(iue,  gilt  back  and  burnished  edge. 

Aiab('S(!ue,  gilt  edge 

Imitation  Tiirliey,  gilt  edge 

Turkey  Morocco,  gilt  edge 

Turkey,  with  gilt  clasp 


.90 
1.10 
1  ..-55 
2.00 


MEDH'M  EOITION.    (Brevier,  24i 


►.) 


Sheep  Binding each  .7') ;  by  the  dozen,  each  copy  .60 

Arabesque 

Arabesiiue,  gilt  back  and  burnished  ed^ie 

Arabesiiue,  gilt  edge 

Imitation  Turkey,  gilt  edge 

Turkey  Morocco,  gilt  edge 

Turkey,  with  gilt  clasp 

Turkey,  flexible 

Turkey  pure  flexible 

Turkey,  heavy  beveled 

A  1  Turkey,  London  antique,  assorted  colors, 

blind-tooled 

**  2  Turkey,   London  antique,  assorted  colors, 

blind-tooled,  clasp 

"  3  Turkey,  London  antique,  full  gilt 

*'  4        "  "  "      and  clasp 

"  5  "  "  "  super  extra. 
"  6  "  "  "  with  clasp .. 
Bilk  Velvet,  rims  and  clasp,  full  ornaments , 


elegantly 
elegantly 


1.00 
1.15 
1.10 
l.t^O 
2.00 
2.75 
2.50 
3.00 
4.00 

3.50 

4.00 
4.00 
4.50 
3.25 
3.75 
6.60 


.92 
1.12 
1.28 
1.60 
2.20 
2.00 
2,40 
3.20 

2.80 

3.2i^ 
3.20 
3.60 
2.60 
3.00 
5.23 


liARGE  EDITION.    (Pica,  I2nio.) 

Pheep  Binding each  2.00;  by  the  dozen,  each  copy  1.60 

Arabes(iue „    "2.50  "  "         2.00 

Turkey  Morocco,  beveled,  antique,  gilt  edge "  4.00  "  "        3.20 

"  "  "        extra  gilt "4.50  "  "         3.60 

THE  CHUISTIAN  HYMNAL. 

A  choice  collection  of  Ilymns  and  Tunes  for  Congregational  and  Social  Worship.  Ar- 
ranged by  a  Committee  of  Harmonists  and  Musical  Authors,  under  the  direction  oi 
the  Christian  Ilymn-Book  Committee,  and  published  by  authority  ol  the  Trustees. 
12m©.    844  Ilymns,  37S  Tunes,  340  pages.    Elegantly  bound  in  cloth  ;  \  ormillion  edges„.    1  00 

English  cloth,  per  copy,  $1.00;  per  dozen 10  80 

"  beveled  boards,  gilt  side,  vermillion  edge,  per  copy,  $1.25;  per  dozen „  13  .50 

Turkey  Morocco,  gilt,  per  copy 3  25 

"        Antique,  extra  beveled,  full  gilt,  per  copy 3  73 

Seiit  by  viail,  prepaid,  at  the  retail  price. 

Address— 

BOSWORTH,  CHASE  k  HALL,  Publishers, 

180  EliH  Street,  Cincinnati. 


Sent  by  mail  on  receipt  cf  retail  price. 


DATE  DUE 

Primed 
In  USA 

COLUMBIA  UNIVERSITY  UBRARIES 


0038538130 


938.5 


B337 


pSr^^ 


s'aii«|id:!^i.iiEiii«i 


